ABSTRACT
Outcome measures Traditional outcome measures, cited frequently in this text, consist of procedure-related death and postoperative survival rates. However, meaningful measures of clinical results include additional issues of importance to the patient, such as ability to perform daily activities, satisfaction with health care, social functioning, and emotional well-being (Birkmeyer et al., 2001). One way of combining these measures is through the use of a clinical value compass in which outcomes are plotted along the following four axes: functional health, patient satisfaction, cost, and clinical outcome (Nelson et al., 1996). Many other standardized instruments are available for this purpose.
