Increasingly, physicians’ every action and outcome is measured and reported. The data-gathering process can be frustrating, and many clinicians are growing skeptical of its clinical value. For them, outcomes measurement may seem like just another reimbursement requirement or process compliance task. However, measuring patient-reported outcomes (PROs) — patients’ own accounting of their symptoms, functional status, and quality of life — can and should be a clinical tool. In the past year, there has been a flurry of announcements by international organizations and governments declaring their commitment to making PROs a centerpiece of quality assessment. As outcomes-measurement programs move from individual hospital-led initiatives to large-scale, top-down efforts, it’s critical that clinicians are engaged in the change and understand the potential for PRO measurement to improve the care they provide.
How Hospitals Are Using Patient-Reported Outcomes to Improve Care
Increasingly, physicians’ every action is measured and reported. The data-gathering process can be frustrating, and many clinicians are growing skeptical of its clinical value. For them, outcomes measurement may seem like just another reimbursement requirement or process compliance task. However, the measurement of true outcomes, including patient-reported outcomes — patients’ own accounting of their symptoms, functional status, and quality of life — can and should be a clinical tool. In the past year, there have been a flurry of announcements by international organizations and governments declaring their commitment to making these measures a centerpiece of quality assessment. As outcomes-measurement programs move from individual physician-led initiatives to large-scale, hospital- and government-led efforts, it’s critical that clinicians are engaged in the change and understand the potential for outcomes measurement to improve the care they provide. Otherwise, outcomes reporting will be treated as yet another administrative burden, undermining its power to help patients. The authors give three examples of clinicians who are directly incorporating outcomes measurement into clinical care.