PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Dassow, Paul L.
TI  - Measuring Performance in Primary Care: What Patient Outcome Indicators Do Physicians Value?
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2007.01.060082
DP  - 2007 Jan 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
PG  - 1--8
VI  - 20
IP  - 1
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/20/1/1.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/20/1/1.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2007 Jan 01; 20
AB  - Background: Determining which patient outcome indicators may be appropriate to include in a primary care, practice performance tool is a difficult task. Unfortunately, no published studies currently document the opinions of these physicians regarding which indicators they most value.Objective: To ascertain the level of agreement among primary care physicians regarding the most salient patient outcome indicators for measuring performance in primary care.Methods: A random population survey of 115 adult primary care physicians. The survey consisted of a comprehensive list of health characteristics included in 8 validated instruments (eg, SF-36, Sickness Impact Profile), as well as 10 common clinical indicators and 6 health behaviors. Each item was ranked using a 5-point Likert scale regarding its value for inclusion in a performance measure.Results: Analysis of 93 returned surveys (RR 81%) indicated strong agreement (≥75%) that 19 health characteristics were important or very important. These characteristics fit into 8 domains: physical functioning, psychological functioning, social functioning, pain, quality of life, physiologic symptoms, health behaviors, and clinical indicators. Notably absent were measures of social support and health perceptions.Conclusions: Strong agreement exists among practicing primary care physicians regarding the most valued patient outcome indicators. Development of practice performance measures should be influenced by such data.