Patient-Centered Outcomes in Imaging: Quantifying Value

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Radiology Vol. 9; no. 10; pp. 725 - 728
• Main Authors: Carlos, Ruth C., MD, MS, Buist, Diana S.M., PhD, Wernli, Karen J., PhD, Swan, J. Shannon, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2012
• Subjects: Comparative Effectiveness Research; Decision Making; Diagnostic Imaging - economics; Diagnostic Imaging - standards; Health Care Reform; Humans; Medicare; Outcome Assessment, Health Care - methods; outcomes; Patient Satisfaction; Patient-centered; Patient-Centered Care; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Quality of Life; Radiology; Radiology - economics; Radiology - standards; Radiology - trends; United States; value; United States; health care reform; Patient-centered; outcomes; value
• ISSN: 1546-1440; 1558-349X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2012.06.008

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute was created in response to a mandate to conduct comparative effectiveness research in clinical care to inform decision making. The institute will be funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund, through congressional set-asides, and by Medicare and private health insurers, through a per beneficiary fee. The institute is governed by a board with a broad stakeholder constitution. Key committees set the national agenda for patient-centered outcomes research, the agenda for funding priorities, and communication and dissemination of the evidence with the goal of increasing the rate of implementation of the evidence into policy. In imaging, patient-centered outcomes go beyond the traditional metrics of patient satisfaction. Instead, these outcomes need to encompass the benefits and harms, focus on outcomes relevant to patients, and provide information to inform decision making. Therefore, radiologists need to be involved as stakeholders in the design, conduct, and dissemination of this research.