title: Outcomes measurement and quality improvement in long-term care.
abstract: As healthcare providers proceed with redesigning patient care, forming centers of excellence, developing clinical pathways, focusing on best practices, and restructuring care services in their efforts to improve the structures and the processes of healthcare, outcomes research can help to determine the most effective patient care regimens. In a similar manner, outcomes are also assuming a higher priority for administrators of long-term care facilities. This article defines outcomes, discusses how they are being used in long-term care settings, presents commonly used outcomes, and describes how these outcomes can be measured and graphically displayed.
authors.affiliation: AtlantiCare Health System, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Castle
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019985:Benchmarking; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014487:Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S.; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000453:epidemiology; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents