Integrating outcomes measurement into clinical practice improvement across the continuum of care: a disease-specific episode of care model.
This article describes a model for incorporating outcomes measurement into a comprehensive, continuum-wide clinical practice improvement program developed at Lovelace Health Systems (Albuquerque, N.M.). Created in 1993, the Lovelace Episode of Care Program currently includes nine disease-specific multidisciplinary teams that are working to improve care by addressing such issues as severity, appropriateness, efficiency, continuous quality improvement indicators, practice guidelines, care maps, and outcomes. Key features and advantages of the model are discussed, as well as implementation issues, successes, lessons learned, program restructuring and improvement, and applicability of the framework across diseases and health organizations.
Lovelace Health Systems, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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J
Lucas
M J
MJ
Gunter
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Byrnes
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M
Coyle
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N
Friedman
D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000592:standards; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards*; D017050:Episode of Care; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000628:therapy; D008332:Management Quality Circles / Q000458:organization & administration; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009096:Multi-Institutional Systems / Q000592:standards*; D009516:New Mexico; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods