Nursing -- Measuring Patient Outcomes Measuring Patient

Nursing -- Measuring Patient Outcomes Measuring Patient Outcomes Measuring patient outcomes is crucial to evaluating the quality of healthcare since achieving positive patient outcomes is the most fundamental of all goals of healthcare in general (Hamric, Spross, & Hanson, 2009; Taylor, Lillis, & LeMone, 2008).

In principle, patient outcome indicators should include seven objective elements or characteristics, namely: (1) they should be based on precise agreed definitions; (2) they should be sufficiently specific and sensitive to eliminate false positive and false negative findings; (3) they must be valid and reliable; (4) they must discriminate sufficiently for findings to be meaningful; (5) they must relate to clearly identifiable events for the targeted audience; (6) they must allow and promote useful comparisons; and (7) they must be strictly evidence-based (Mainz, 2003).

Generally, the quality of healthcare is directly determined by many factors among which the specific roles of healthcare workers are some of the most important (Hamric, Spross, & Hanson, 2009; Taylor, Lillis, & LeMone, 2008). Types of Patient Outcome Indicators Patient outcome indicators can measure various parameters that affect the quality of healthcare structure or process, they can provide generic measures relevant for all diseases, or they can provide disease-specific measures and specific diagnoses (Mainz, 2003).

Moreover, outcome indicator data are of potential interest to populations of patients, healthcare providers, and other stakeholders (Mainz, 2003; Taylor, Lillis, & LeMone, 2008). Process and Structure Outcome Indicators Process and structure outcome indicators include those that relate to the manner in which staffing, training, hierarchical relationships, and supervisory processes influence the patient outcome of healthcare intervention (Hamric, Spross, & Hanson, 2009; Mainz, 2003).

Typical examples would be the effect on patient outcome of administrative decisions about the makeup and responsibilities of nursing units, chain of command, the number of subordinates assigned to each supervisor, and decisions about the type and extent of specific qualifications and certifications required of staff members (Mainz, 2003; Taylor, Lillis, & LeMone, 2008). Rate-based and Sentinel Outcome Indicators Rate-based outcome indicators are those that relate to the relative frequency of outcomes such as specific events that are known or expected to occur but with varying frequency depending on external variables (Mainz, 2003).

Typically, those expectations are expressed either as proportions, rates, or mean values for sample populations. Conversely, sentinel indicator relate to specific inherently undesirable events or phenomena (such as nosocomial infections) that justify causal analyses and investigation to.