Reduced resource utilization through standardized outcome-focused care plans.
When evaluating ways to improve client outcomes, home healthcare administrators must consider the amount of resources used to provide the outcomes. Previous research has shown that outcome-focused care plans (OCPs) result in significantly better quality indicator scores than the traditional process-focused care plans (PCPs). The authors report the amount of resources used by a home healthcare agency when nursing care was guided by PCPs versus OCPs. The results showed that nurse visit time was less when OCPs were used. Outcome-focused care plans offer home healthcare administrators a mechanism to enhance quality while reducing resource utilization.
D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000451:nursing; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000451:nursing; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D009736:Nursing Process; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014861:Washington