Setting the Benchmark: Improving Outcomes for All
NEJM
Authors: Jennifer Bright, MPA and Namita Seth Mohta, MD
August 25, 2023
Summary
The President of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM) discusses patient-reported outcome measures and their role in advancing value-based health care, in particular the critical importance of staying focused on a commitment to implement standardized measures to improve patient health.
She offers advice for health care organizations and leaders to effectively integrate these measures into daily care.
https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.23.0255
Namita Seth Mohta, MD, interviews Jennifer Bright, MPA, President of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement.
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August 30, 2023
What is the message
The article underscores the need for healthcare organizations to adopt standardized outcome measures as a means of achieving better patient outcomes.
By focusing on implementation, embracing standardized data collection, and staying open to technological advancements like AI, healthcare systems can align their practices with patient needs and continuously strive for improved care.
One page summary
In the article “Setting the Benchmark: Improving Outcomes for All,” Jennifer Bright, President of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), discusses the vital role of patient-reported outcome measures in advancing value-based healthcare.
The article emphasizes the significance of implementing standardized measures to enhance patient health and offers insights for integrating these measures effectively into daily healthcare practices.
ICHOM, a nonprofit organization, focuses on defining patient-centric outcome measures and supporting their global adoption to drive value-based healthcare.
The organization collaborates with clinical experts, outcomes measurement specialists, and patients to establish consensus sets of best-in-class outcome measures.
- Over its first decade, ICHOM concentrated on defining core outcome measure sets with international consensus.
- Now, in its second decade, ICHOM’s focus is on implementing these measures to enhance patient outcomes.
The article highlights the importance of shifting the mindset to embrace standardized collection of outcome measures for meaningful comparisons across healthcare institutions and locations
Successful implementations of ICHOM’s standardized measure sets have occurred within health systems and governments that recognize the value of data-driven comparisons.
The article cites examples of institutions like
- Santeon in the Netherlands and the
- Martini Clinik in Germany
that have seen improvements in patient outcomes through the implementation of standardized measure sets.
Bright provides advice for organizations aiming to integrate standardized measure sets effectively.
She emphasizes that viewing outcomes measurement as a necessity, not a burden, is crucial for success.
Organizations must commit to standardized data collection to ensure accurate tracking of progress in improving health outcomes over time.
The alignment of outcomes measurement with the goal of delivering optimal patient care and value is essential.
Looking ahead, Bright acknowledges the potential of AI and machine learning tools in refining the definition, collection, and use of patient-reported data to enhance care.
However, she cautions that proper criteria and safeguards should be established to avoid biases and ensure that AI contributes positively to healthcare outcomes.
NOTES
In addition to her role as President of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), Jennifer Bright is Principal Consultant at Momentum Health Strategies, Board Chair for Mental Health America, and an Editorial Board Member at the American Journal of Accountable Care.
Namita Seth Mohta is Executive Editor of NEJM Catalyst.
