Health span or life span: the role of patient-reported outcomes in informing health policy.
OBJECTIVE
Population ageing and the increasing burden of chronic conditions challenge traditional metrics of assessing the efficacy of health care interventions and as a consequence policy and planning. Using chronic heart failure (CHF) as an exemplar this manuscript seeks to describe the importance of patient-reported outcomes to inform policy decisions.


METHODS
The method of an integrative review has been used to identify patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in assessing CHF outcomes. Using the Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions the case for developing a metric to incorporate PROs in policy planning, implementation and evaluation is made.


RESULTS
In spite of the increasing use of PROs in assessing CHF outcomes, their incorporation in the policy domain is limited.


CONCLUSIONS
Effective policy and planning is of health care services is dependent on the impact on the individual and their families. Epidemiological transitions and evolving treatment paradigms challenge traditional metrics of morbidity and mortality underscoring the importance of assessing PROs.
Chang
Sungwon
S
Centre for Cardiovascular and Chronic Care, Curtin University of Technology, Sydney, Australia.
Gholizadeh
Leila
L
Salamonson
Yenna
Y
Digiacomo
Michelle
M
Betihavas
Vasiliki
V
Davidson
Patricia M
PM
D002908:Chronic Disease; D006291:Health Policy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life