Action, or sometimes inaction, prompted by test results can have a substantial impact on a patient’s health and the quality of care received.ĭepending on the circumstances, testing decisions based on your preferences may expand the definition of health outcomes from not only “what makes you better” medicine, but to “what makes you feel better” medicine. Consider, though, that health outcomes also depend on what the practitioner and patient decide to do with the information supplied by test results.
Health outcomes rely, at least in part, on ensuring that laboratory tests are as accurate, sensitive and specific as possible, as well as reasonably available.
In some cases, there is no consensus on whether screening with a particular test should be done at all. Even the most authoritative organizations don’t always agree on the elements of preventive care, such as the most appropriate age to begin routine screening or how often it should be repeated. Sometimes, however, the evidence isn’t always conclusive as to which tests or frequency of testing improves health outcomes, especially in the use of screening tests intended to prevent illness. Laboratory tests should provide information that can improve a person’s outcome. Improving health outcomes through laboratory medicine is achieved with the appropriate use of testing. The evaluation of health outcomes asks the basic question: “Are you better off than before medical intervention?” “Health outcome” describes the end result or consequence of an action taken to prevent, manage or cure illness. Sickness or health, surviving or dying from a disease are examples of outcomes, but so are side effects experienced from treatments. Medical science has turned to evaluating health outcomes as a means for determining the effectiveness of a medical test, procedure or treatment.īut what do we actually mean by “health outcomes”? The ultimate objectives of medicine are to help people who are sick to get better and to assist healthy people in preventing illness, while “doing no harm,” as the famous phrase from the Hippocratic Oath cautions. While everyone might agree that improving health care and patient health are worthy goals, there must be a way to measure progress in reaching them. Read the sections below to review these concepts as well as how they play into making informed decisions about your or a loved one’s health care as well as additional resources. Understanding these terms, and their sometimes competing priorities, may help you to discuss your testing options with your health practitioner and make informed choices to improve your care. Together, these terms describe a range of care that you and your health practitioner may consider in making decisions about testing and treatment options. In this article, we offer explanations of these three key terms and their contributions to improving health care and, more specifically, healthcare as practiced through laboratory medicine. As we listen and read, certain terms keep popping up – terms like health outcomes, evidence-based medicine (EBM), and patient-centered care. On TV, in newspapers and magazines and, of course, on the Internet, we can find a vast amount of information about efforts being made to improve our care.
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