title: The outcome index. A method of quality assurance in the special care area.
abstract: A method of quality assurance for a surgical intensive care unit is described. A system outcome score is devised, incorporating only easily obtained objective components that reflect the likelihood of death. Through the use of a derived outcome index, the actual mortality rate is compared with the predicted mortality rate as a method of monitoring the quality of care provided. Subroutines exist to identify errors in data entry, to detect malicious interference in patient care, to add nonscoring components for the purposes of clinical studies, and to facilitate retrieval of a concise summary of the major events during the stay of every patient admitted to the intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: McFee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gilbert
mesh_terms: D000043:Abstracting and Indexing; D003422:Critical Care / Q000592:standards*; D013502:General Surgery / Q000592:standards; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D007591:Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; D009026:Mortality; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D013534:Survival; D013781:Texas; D014481:United States