Report cards: tools for managing pathways and outcomes.

Abstract

An overriding concern of many health care providers is how to maintain quality in such a turbulent, cost-driven environment. It is essential for health care providers to determine the effectiveness of their care and to institute changes in practice to affect patient outcomes in a positive fashion. Determining the appropriate outcomes to measure and formatting the report in an easy-to-read manner with meaningful information is important for presentation to a variety of audiences. We describe a report card methodology for disseminating outcome information that can easily be adapted in other settings.