The ethical considerations of outcome research

Escalating costs have led to the increasing interest in outcome research in all areas of industry. In healthcare, providers, payors, and consumers are making every effort to improve the quality of patient care while managing costs. Because the overriding issue of cost is driving much of outcome research, it is increasingly important to recognize the fragile balance that exists between cost and quality. In addition, clinicians face a number of other ethical and legal concerns such as confidentiality, informed consent, and the needs of the underserved. This column describes outcome research, along with ethical principles that influence this research.