Abstract
This paper considers the use of outcome measures in the British National Health Service (NHS). Measuring outcomes is a major conceptual and practical problem. Many different measures are currently available yet no consensus has been reached on which should be preferred over others, or about which should take priority when they conflict. Some currently used measures are described, the relationship between these measures and the measured activities are discussed, and fundamental problems with both the measures and their use are revealed. It is shown that however assiduous the search, the ‘perfect’ outcome measure will always remain elusive.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Main Feature (1994). Political challenge or political veneer?Health Care Analysis 2(1), 5–12.
Loughlin, M. (1994). Behind the wall paper.Health Care Analysis 2(1), 47–53.
Gladstone, D. and Goldsmith, M. (1995). Health care reform in the UK: working for patients? In,Reforming Health Care: The Philosophy and Practice of International Health Reform, ed. by D.F. Seedhouse, John Wiley & Sons, chichester.
Iliffe, S. (1994). Let the buyer beware!: an open letter to Europe's health ministers, analysts and policy makers.Health Care Analysis 2(1), 77–79.
Bowling, A. (1991).Measuring Health, Open University Press, Milton Keynes.
Hunt, S. (1986). Measuring health in clinical trials and clinical care. In,Measuring Health: A Practical Approach, ed. by G. Teeling Smith, John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.
McDowell, I. and Newell, C. (1987).Measuring Health: A Guide to Rating Scales, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Bell, L., Morris, B. and Brown, R.B. (1993a). Devising a multidisciplinary audit tool.International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance 6(4), 16–21.
Bell, L., Brown, R.B. and Morris, B. (1993b). Auditing health services. InQuality and its Applications, ed. by J.F.L. Chan, Penshaw, Cleadon.
Nuffield Institute for Health (1993).Issues in Outcome Measurement: Four Basic Questions, University of Leeds.
Seedhouse, D.F. (1994). Health care values or business values?Health Care Analysis 2(3), 181–186.
Beck, A.T. (1988). Psychometric properties of the Beck depression inventory: 25 years of evaluation.Clinical Psychology Review 8(1), 77–100.
Hunt, S.M., McKenna, S.P. and Williams, J. (1981). Reliability of a population survey tool for measuring perceived health problems: a study of patients with osteo-arthritis.Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 35(4), 297–300.
Griseri, P. (1993). Management praxis: an approach to evaluating theory. Paper presented to theBritish Academy of Management Annual Conference, Milton Keynes.
Hughes, J.M. (1988). The body of knowledge in management education.Management Education and Development (MEAD) 19(4), 301–310.
Whitley, R. (1992).Formal Knowledge and Management Education, Working Paper No. 236, Manchester Business School.
Wren, D.A., Buckley, M.R. and Michaelson, L.K. (1994). The theory/applications balance in management pedagory: where do we stand?Journal of Management 20(1), 141–157.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brown, R.B., McCartney, S. & Bell, L. Why the NHS should abandon the search for the universal outcome measure. Health Care Anal 3, 191–195 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02197668
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02197668