The Emergence of Quality-of-life Indicators

One of the most important activities that healthcare providers must focus on today is how they measure the quality of care that their organization provides. Up until recently, concrete quality indicators consisting of numerical data were the overwhelming choice used by doctors and healthcare management when assessing quality of care. Numerical indicators such as mortality rates, hand hygiene compliance rates, and even cholesterol levels in patients are commonly used in healthcare assessments nationwide. While this approach has been useful in monitoring the quality of care received, a newer (and more subjective) way to measure quality is now becoming more prevalent. This new indicator is the measure of a patient’s quality of life.

According to the 2012 article “The Simple Idea That Is Transforming Health Care,” more and more healthcare providers are assessing quality-of-life measures by asking their patients about how they “feel about their condition and overall well-being” (Landro, 2012, p. R1). With this type of assessment, “nurses or trained counselors meet with people and ask personal questions like: Is your condition inhibiting your life? Is it making you less happy? Does it make it hard to cope day to day? Then the counselors offer advice about managing those problems and follow up regularly” (Landro, p. R1). Rather than being given only abstract numerical goals (such as, blood-pressure levels), patients “are more likely to manage their condition properly when they have more accessible, personal goals, like being able to do more at work or keep up with their kids” (Landro, p. R1). Numerous studies have indicated that patients with increased well-being “have fewer hospitalizations and emergency-room visits, miss fewer days of work and use less medication,” which reduces overall healthcare use and spending (Landro, p. R1).

As future healthcare executives, is important that we consider a more holistic approach to measuring healthcare quality. While quality-of-life indicators should by no means replace concrete numerical data, combining both methods can provide a more well-rounded picture of actual healthcare quality—as well as provide a means for achieving continuous quality improvement in the future.

Reference:

Landro, L. (2012, April 16). The Simple Idea That Is Transforming Health Care. The Wall Street Journal, pp. R1 & R2.