title: Need and greed in dermatology: disease and outcome measures in dermatological healthcare planning.
abstract: Assessing dermatological needs in the population and our ability to meet them is a challenge. The choice of outcome measures is central in dermatological healthcare planning. The concept of ill health and its relationship to dermatological outcome measures is described. Outcome measures used should provide information on these issues in order to gain insight into genuine needs and illness behavior in the population and to ensure quality of healthcare. Nevertheless, the dilemma of assigning priorities in healthcare planning remains; outcome measures in dermatology should be perceived as appropriate by patients as well as by caregivers and policy makers. It is important to stimulate research to develop and refine person-focused outcome measures. Their use is essential to assess dermatological health needs and to understand illness behavior. The information they can provide can enable provision and evaluation of healthcare quality and contribute to the challenge of making appropriate priority decisions in healthcare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Ullevål University Hospital, Institute of General Practice and Community Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. florence.dalgard@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dalgard
authors.forename: Andrew Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Finlay
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003880:Dermatology / Q000458:organization & administration; D015438:Health Behavior; D006285:Health Planning; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D012803:Sick Role; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*