Outcomes Research

Health outcome is the impact that a specific health intervention, technology, policy, or program has on a person, group, population. (1) This endpoint can be any changes in morbidity (efficacy, effectiveness, and safety) to inform the quality of care and/or mortality. Outcomes Research is a methodology to measure the quality of care and the impact of health interventions such as health technologies on patients’ health status, feeling, function or survival. This measurement is essential for healthcare systems to provide the highest quality of care.

A range of stakeholders mainly use outcomes research to improve patient-centred care. Different stakeholders use it for various purposes:

• Policymakers for monitoring and improving the quality of care
• HTA bodies and decision-makers for assessment of new or existing health technologies
• Clinicians and health care professionals for developing evidence-based guides

Quality HTA is distinguished by creative and scientific approaches in identifying meaningful health outcomes, including but not limited to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for a range of health interventions/technologies and healthcare challenges.