Integrating information technology with an outcomes management program

Health care changes are occurring rapidly. How successfully an institution keeps up with these changes depends on information and evaluation of outcomes of care. This article discusses how information technology is linked with outcomes management and measurement, types of data, development of data sets, quality issues related to data, and issues that must be addressed as computerized patient records become a reality. By incorporating information technology with outcomes measurement, a new era of outcomes management will be reached.