An Introduction to Modern Measurement Theory

This tutorial was written as an introduction to the basics of item response theory (IRT) modeling and its applications to health outcomes measurement for the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Outcomes Measurement Working Group (COMWG). In no way this tutorial is meant to replace any text on measurement theory, but only serve as a stepping-stone for health care researchers to learn this methodology in a framework that may be more appealing to their research field. An illustration of IRT modeling is provided in the appendix and can provide better insight into the utility of these methods. This tutorial is only a draft version that may undergo many revisions.