Routine Health Outcome Measurement: Development, Design, and Implementation of the Hand and Wrist Cohort

Abstract

Routine measurement of outcome of clinical care is increasingly considered important, but implementation in practice is challenging. This article describes (1) how the authors created and implemented a routine outcome measurement cohort of patients with hand and wrist conditions and (2) how these data are used to improve the quality of care and facilitate scientific research. Starting in 2011, routine outcome measurement was implemented at all practice sites (currently 22) of a specialized treatment center for hand and wrist conditions across The Netherlands. The authors developed five "measurement tracks," including measurements administered at predetermined time points covering all hand and wrist disorders and treatments. An online system automatically distributes measurements among patients, which can be accessed by health care professionals. Using this system, the total number of yearly assigned tracks increased up to over 16,500 in 2018, adding up to 85,000 tracks in 52,000 patients in total. All surgeons, therapists, and other staff have direct access to individual patient data and patients have access to their treatment information using a secure patient portal. The data serve as a basis for studies on, among others, comparative effectiveness, prediction modeling, and clinimetric analyses. In conclusion, the authors present the design and successful implementation of a routine outcome measurement system that was made feasible using a highly automated data collection infrastructure, tightly linked to the patient journey and the workflow of health care professionals. The system serves not only as a tool to improve care but also as a basis for scientific research studies.