A systematic review of patient-assessed health outcome measures was conducted to assess the growth of quality of life measures and their availability across specialties. A total of 3921 reports met the inclusion criteria, describing the development and evaluation of patient-assessed measures. Of these, 1819 (46%) were disease or population specific, 865 (22%) were generic, 690 (18%) were dimension specific, 409 (10%) were utility, and 62 (1%) were individualised. The number of reports increased from 144 to 650 per year between 1990 and 1999. Disease-specific measures showed exponential growth, while generic measures, such as the SF-36, sickness impact profile, and Nottingham health profile, accounted for 16% of the reports. The study found that in some specialties, there are numerous measures of quality of life but little standardisation. Primary research through the concurrent evaluation of measures and secondary research through structured reviews of measures are prerequisites for standardisation. Recommendations for the selection of patient-assessed measures of health outcome are needed. The application of patient-assessed measures of health outcome has become increasingly important in the evaluation of healthcare. The study shows considerable growth in the production of measures to support this trend. Growth has not been consistent across specialties or health problems and has been concentrated around the development of measures specific for diseases or populations. The study also highlights the need for structured reviews and recommendations based on patient and professional consensus for the effective application of measures. Finally, researchers should undertake comprehensive literature searches to ascertain whether a suitable measure is available before they decide to develop a new one.A systematic review of patient-assessed health outcome measures was conducted to assess the growth of quality of life measures and their availability across specialties. A total of 3921 reports met the inclusion criteria, describing the development and evaluation of patient-assessed measures. Of these, 1819 (46%) were disease or population specific, 865 (22%) were generic, 690 (18%) were dimension specific, 409 (10%) were utility, and 62 (1%) were individualised. The number of reports increased from 144 to 650 per year between 1990 and 1999. Disease-specific measures showed exponential growth, while generic measures, such as the SF-36, sickness impact profile, and Nottingham health profile, accounted for 16% of the reports. The study found that in some specialties, there are numerous measures of quality of life but little standardisation. Primary research through the concurrent evaluation of measures and secondary research through structured reviews of measures are prerequisites for standardisation. Recommendations for the selection of patient-assessed measures of health outcome are needed. The application of patient-assessed measures of health outcome has become increasingly important in the evaluation of healthcare. The study shows considerable growth in the production of measures to support this trend. Growth has not been consistent across specialties or health problems and has been concentrated around the development of measures specific for diseases or populations. The study also highlights the need for structured reviews and recommendations based on patient and professional consensus for the effective application of measures. Finally, researchers should undertake comprehensive literature searches to ascertain whether a suitable measure is available before they decide to develop a new one.