BACKGROUND: Demands on the medical profession to develop performance measures and demonstrate cost-effectiveness make it imperative that a uniform approach to the measurement of outcomes for common conditions be adopted. We report here on patient acceptance, response rates, and utility of a new set of core outcomes measures for patients with inguinal hernia (IH), which incorporates patient reporting of outcomes. METHODS: Beginning in March 1994, a convenience sample of patients scheduled for IH repair completed a series of questionnaires addressing a range of patient case mix and outcomes dimensions, including demographics, comorbid conditions, SF-36 health status (Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form health survey), and condition-specific questions, expectations, and responses to the surgical experience before and after operation. Surgical data were abstracted from the medical records. RESULTS: One hundred three patients were entered in the study; 63 completed 2-month reports and 44 completed 6-month reports. Acceptance of the study and response rates were excellent. Differences in health status associated with IH have been identified in two SF-36 domains, and changes in function after repair noted in several others, supporting the applicability of this measure. Outcomes may also differ by type of hernia and type of repair performed. CONCLUSIONS: A core outcomes measurement set for IH that encompasses demographics, comorbidities, health status, expectations, utilization, and condition-specific data provides a portrait of patient outcomes that is useful to providers and patients, and combined with cost and satisfaction data, it can be used for benchmarking and improving surgical care.
BACKGROUND: Demands on the medical profession to develop performance measures and demonstrate cost-effectiveness make it imperative that a uniform approach to the measurement of outcomes for common conditions be adopted. We report here on patient acceptance, response rates, and utility of a new set of core outcomes measures for patients with inguinal hernia (IH), which incorporates patient reporting of outcomes. METHODS: Beginning in March 1994, a convenience sample of patients scheduled for IH repair completed a series of questionnaires addressing a range of patient case mix and outcomes dimensions, including demographics, comorbid conditions, SF-36 health status (Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short-form health survey), and condition-specific questions, expectations, and responses to the surgical experience before and after operation. Surgical data were abstracted from the medical records. RESULTS: One hundred three patients were entered in the study; 63 completed 2-month reports and 44 completed 6-month reports. Acceptance of the study and response rates were excellent. Differences in health status associated with IH have been identified in two SF-36 domains, and changes in function after repair noted in several others, supporting the applicability of this measure. Outcomes may also differ by type of hernia and type of repair performed. CONCLUSIONS: A core outcomes measurement set for IH that encompasses demographics, comorbidities, health status, expectations, utilization, and condition-specific data provides a portrait of patient outcomes that is useful to providers and patients, and combined with cost and satisfaction data, it can be used for benchmarking and improving surgical care.
Authors: J S Barkun; E J Keyser; M J Wexler; G M Fried; E J Hinchey; M Fernandez; J L Meakins Journal: J Gastrointest Surg Date: 1999 Nov-Dec Impact factor: 3.452
Authors: Mette W Christoffersen; Jacob Rosenberg; Lars Nannestad Jorgensen; Peter Bytzer; Thue Bisgaard Journal: World J Surg Date: 2014-07 Impact factor: 3.352