Uitkomstenonderzoek: hoogste tijd voor een definitie!

Outcomes research: it’s the moment to set up definitions

In the Dutch society the financing of services as health care and education is in a collective way. More than in the past providers of these services have to explain the relation between the costs and the quality of the services. It’s the era of an ‘outcomes movement’. Health care also must be prepared for these effectiveness questions. At this moment methods are developed to implement the results of outcomes research with (expensive) drugs in health care policy and in the society. Because the developments are rather new, clear and broadly accepted definitions of some basic terms are lacking. It’s the moment to set up these definitions now, also for outcomes research itself. Outcomes research is driven by objectives and is done in a specific context or perspective. The results support decisions on a macro, meso and/or micro level.