Quality, cost and outcomes measures in orthopaedic healthcare

Excerpt

In the era of patient-centred healthcare, good quality medical practice represents an intervention resulting in outcomes that match patients’ expectations. However, good quality healthcare is not without a cost, and outcomes measurement is complex and flawed by the multiple layers that exist and define such measurements. To meet the financial challenges faced in the healthcare industry, healthcare organizations are striving to control operational costs. Costing is essential to maximize the resources available to the healthcare providers and increase the services offered to patients. Still, patients’ expectations in healthcare continue to increase; patients’ expectations are diverse, and subject to variability in space (culture, religion, education, social status, profession, secondary gains) and time. Understanding and adequate management of patients’ expectations can enhance their satisfaction level, improve outcomes and decrease liability. In this setting, assessment of outcomes has become increasingly more important in the healthcare industry. This editorial paper discusses the quality and cost of healthcare, the expectations and variances of patients, and the measurements of outcomes for patient-centred care into existing health care systems (Figs. 1 and 2).

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