title: Quantitative methods for quality improvement.
abstract: Measuring clinical and financial outcomes in health care is a science in the early stages of development and implementation. Many tools and techniques are derived from industry models of continuous quality improvement and epidemiology. Epidemiologic (enumerative) and statistical process control (analytic) methods are effective alternatives to traditional quality assurance methods of evaluating patient care that encompass clinical and financial outcomes. Their use has resulted in significant improvement of clinical outcomes and financial performance, and has increased physician involvement in the process. Although cost will be the driving force of health care reform for the next few years, demonstration of high-quality care by providers through outcomes measurement will differentiate long-term from short-term winners in an environment of managed competition. This fact will make the science of outcomes management increasingly more important.
authors.affiliation: Epi-Q, Inc., Oak Brook, IL 60521, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jewell
mesh_terms: D002641:Chicago; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards; D017146:Models, Organizational; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D017749:Total Quality Management