[Outcomes count: the importance of measuring the outcomes of hospital care].
A century ago the Boston surgeon Earnest A. Codman described in detail the requirements for monitoring quality of care and emphasized the importance of outcomes in evaluating care. At the time the medical societies were disconcerted by his ideas, which were perceived as revolutionary. After several decade of focusing on the structures and processes of care we are now witnessing a renaissance of measuring outcomes. This paper emphasizes the need for outcomes measurement monitor quality of care. The introduction of diagnosis-related groups in Germany is the most recent development that underlines the importance of outcomes measurement and benchmarking.
Sangha
Oliver
O
Institut für Medizinische Informationsverarbeitung, Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München.
Schneeweiss
Sebastian
S
D005858:Germany; D006761:Hospitals / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome