HEALTH CARE POLICY:Outcomes Research: Measuring the End Results of Health Care

Only by collecting and analyzing health outcomes data will it be possible to judge the overall quality of care for the nation. In the next decade, increased inclusion of outcomes measures in daily practice will facilitate expansion of the metrics by which patients and clinicians evaluate the success of health care. Close correspondence between research and the needs of decision-makers will be needed to ensure that health care services are used effectively.