Perinatal outcomes management: balancing quality with cost

As flexibility and change become the only constants in health care delivery, providers are seeking improved methods for delivering quality, cost-effective services. Perinatal care is no exception. Length of stay is decreasing for obstetric patients, and the challenges of providing quality care are great. Outcomes management uses outcomes measures to improve clinical and functional results while better utilizing resources. Critical pathways and variances from that pathway are analyzed for opportunities to improve care and quality. Quality indicators are then derived from the variance data. The women's services outcomes manager, a new role, identifies and resolves quality issues.