Health insurance and outcomes: comprehensive assessment of health system outputs

Outcomes analysis in health care has historically meant the examination of clinical results of inpatient hospitalization. In response to climbing health care and health insurance costs, the organization of health care providers, the location of service delivery and reimbursement mechanisms have changed. As the health care industry changes, so too must the definition of outcomes. This article presents a conceptual framework for the analysis of health outcomes as health industry outputs, with an emphasis on the ways in which such outputs are being assessed and improved.