Outcomes Management: The Why, What, and How of Data Collection

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe process of outcomes management (OM) and discuss barriers to its success. DATA SOURCES: Relevant literature. SELECTION: Not applicable. DATA EXTRACTION: Not applicable. DATA SYNTHESIS: Quality endeavors, such as outcomes management, are receiving increased attention in the U.S. health care system. OM applies continuous quality improvement (CQI) techniques to medical care, assessing both the effectiveness of products and services and the quality with which they are provided. Linking the structure and process of care to the outcomes of care is critical to OM's success. Sources of data for OM include claims databases, medical records, and patient surveys, each with inherent advantages and disadvantages that must be considered. A number of barriers to true outcomes management must be overcome before its full potential will be realized. CONCLUSION: Outcomes management represents a simultaneous focus on costs, quality, assessment, and accountability. Sophistication of information sys...