Top Strategies for Improving Patient Outcomes: Integrative, Patient-centered Care

Florence Nightingale was not only the founder of modern-day nursing, but she was also one of the first people to use patient outcomes to evaluate healthcare as she kept careful records of her patients, their care, and how their conditions impacted their health. (10) 

Since that time, patient outcomes have encompassed the following:

• Clinical endpoints such as symptoms, lab values, and longevity
• Functional status such as physical, mental, and social
• General well-being including health perceptions, energy/fatigue, pain, and quality of life
• Satisfaction with care including access, convenience, financial feasibility, and quality of care (7) 

Improving patient outcomes can lead to better health and a more empowered patient, which sounds like the perfect clinical goal. (2)