Products & Services - Techniques
How we do it:
We utilize a variety of quantitative and qualitative validated assessment techniques to measure practice patterns, attitudes, preferences, and perceptions.
Case-vignettes
We develop case vignettes to assess the practice patterns of clinicians for baseline and performance/outcomes studies. Case vignettes have gained considerable support for their value in predicting clinician practice patterns. Results from recent research demonstrate that case vignettes (as an alternative to chart review or standardized patient evaluations) are a valid and comprehensive method to measure a physician's process of care in actual clinical practice. Furthermore, case vignettes can be quickly administered and are more cost-effective and less invasive than other means of measurement.
In the case-vignette process, a patient scenario is presented with the necessary practice and disease information. Performance is measured by asking respondents about diagnosis, tests that would be ordered, treatment choices, and communicating with the patient.
Structured Focus Groups/Nominal Group Technique ("NGT")
The NGT is a well-established group approach to systematically elicit and prioritize participant responses to specific questions. Using our proprietary technology, the highly structured format of NGT sessions promotes equal involvement of participants and controls the extraneous and evaluative discussion that typically occurs during other types of group sessions where controversial issues are addressed, or when real or perceived power differentials exist among participants. By minimizing these negative effects, NGT sessions tend to elicit more information on specific issues compared with unstructured focus group meetings. Because these sessions tend to promote even rates of participation and capture input from all group members at an equal weight, the results are presumably a direct reflection of the implicit views held by a group.
Semi-structured Interviews
When seeking to explore perceptions, gain better understanding about barriers, practice patterns or needs, or pilot-test instruments prior to implementation, we implement semi-structured interviews. Semi-structured interviews allow for a deeper understanding of social or personal perceptions compared to group sessions. Our interview protocols are based on established guidelines for the development and implementation of interview-based research. Our approach takes into consideration the audience, the manner in which the questions are asked, the relevance of the questions, and the analysis of the information obtained.
Patient surveys
In order to assess actual patients associated with the healthcare providers from whom they seek care, we develop and implement patient surveys. Patient surveys provide valuable insight for the development of interventions and for determining the impact of education.
Chart audits
Through the use of valid quality measures, we develop and implement chart audit tool used to obtain de-identified patient health information directly from healthcare professionals. This method allows clinical chart information to be elicited in a systematic and standardized way as well as it provides healthcare professionals with the opportunity to audit their own charts and receive feedback on their performance.
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Our story
Founded in 2001, Outcomes is a women owned business that was established by Dr. Linda Casebeer and Rachael Shillman to provide independent assessments of the impact of continuing medical education programming.
Today, as a leading assessment company of healthcare education and information, Outcomes collaborates with over 120 healthcare organizations in various sectors including pharmaceutical companies, medical education and communication companies, medical device companies, managed care organizations and government agencies to identify practice gaps and disparities in care, develop educational plans, and provide data on program effectiveness.