Outcome
Outcome
Outcome (pronounced: /ˈaʊtˌkʌm/) is a term used in the field of medicine to refer to the result or consequence of a healthcare intervention or treatment. The term is derived from the English words "out" and "come", indicating the result that comes out of a particular action or situation.
Definition
In medical context, an outcome can be the end result of a disease, condition, or medical treatment. It can be measured in various ways, such as survival rates, improvement in symptoms, or changes in quality of life. Outcomes can be positive (such as recovery from illness) or negative (such as complications or death).
Types of Outcomes
There are several types of outcomes in healthcare, including:
- Clinical Outcomes: These are the changes in health status as a result of healthcare. They can be measured by various means, such as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) or clinical outcome assessment (COA).
- Patient-reported Outcomes: These are reports coming directly from the patient about how they feel or function in relation to a health condition and its therapy.
- Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) Outcomes: These outcomes measure the impact of disease and treatment on a patient's quality of life, including physical, mental, and social aspects.
Importance of Outcomes
Outcomes are important in healthcare as they provide a measure of the effectiveness and quality of care. They are used in clinical trials to assess the efficacy of new treatments, in health services research to evaluate the performance of healthcare providers, and in health policy to inform decision-making.
Related Terms
- Morbidity: Refers to the state of being diseased or unhealthy within a population.
- Mortality: Refers to the death rate within a population.
- Prognosis: A prediction of the likely course and outcome of a disease.
- Efficacy: The ability to produce a desired or intended result.
- Effectiveness: The degree to which something is successful in producing a desired result.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Outcome
- Wikipedia's article - Outcome
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski