New outcomes measures undergo test

The RAND Corp., a nonprofit research organization based in Santa Monica, CA, is testing detailed outcomes measures for breast cancer, diabetes, and depression.

The Health Care Financing Administration awarded a four-year, $2 million contract to RAND to refine the measures, which were developed by the Portland, OR-based Foundation for Accountability (FAcct).

FAcct’s measures are "multidimensional," says spokeswoman Judith Graham. For example, to monitor outcomes of patients with breast cancer, the FAcct measure includes other aspects of care beside mammograms, which is a commonly used indicator. (See related stories in Patient Satisfaction & Outcomes Management, September 1996, p. 100 and January 1996, p. 8.)

FAcct released its first quality measures last summer. RAND will determine how well they actually function and how they can be used to improve quality.