Health span or life span: The role of patient-reported outcomes in informing health policy

• Published in: Health policy (Amsterdam) 2011-04, Vol.100 (1), p.96-104
• Main Authors: Chang, Sungwon, Gholizadeh, Leila, Salamonson, Yenna, DiGiacomo, Michelle, Betihavas, Vasiliki, Davidson, Patricia M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chronic Disease; Chronic sickness; Diseases; Epidemiological transition; Family; Health administration; Health care; Health Policy; Health policy Heart failure Patient-reported outcomes Morbidity Mortality; Heart disease; Heart failure; Heart Failure - therapy; Humans; Internal Medicine; Life span; Medical service; Morbidity; Morbidity-Mortality; Mortality; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Patient Satisfaction; Patient-reported outcomes; Patients; Policy making; Population ageing; Population aging; Population policy; Quality of Life
• ISSN: 0168-8510; 1872-6054
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2010.07.001

Abstract Objectives Population ageing and the increasing burden of chronic conditions challenge traditional metrics of assessing the efficacy of health care interventions and as a consequence policy and planning. Using chronic heart failure (CHF) as an exemplar this manuscript seeks to describe the importance of patient-reported outcomes to inform policy decisions. Methods The method of an integrative review has been used to identify patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in assessing CHF outcomes. Using the Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions the case for developing a metric to incorporate PROs in policy planning, implementation and evaluation is made. Results In spite of the increasing use of PROs in assessing CHF outcomes, their incorporation in the policy domain is limited. Conclusions Effective policy and planning is of health care services is dependent on the impact on the individual and their families. Epidemiological transitions and evolving treatment paradigms challenge traditional metrics of morbidity and mortality underscoring the importance of assessing PROs.