A strategic tool to improve long-term health outcomes in clinical practice: SHOR driver and association diagram

Abstract

Abstract Quality problem or issue An over-arching principle of healthcare governance in Sweden is to achieve as much health for as many patients as possible given the available resources. With high life expectancy and increased years lived with non-communicable diseases, more effective interventions in prevention and control of non-communicable diseases are needed in order to ensure high-quality healthcare. Initial assessment Few publications have described a generic and resource-effective method of implementing the perspective of health outcomes in relation to costs in a clinical Swedish university hospital context. To fill this gap, a generic method was developed at Sahlgrenska University hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. Choice of solution A System-based driver and association diagram of Health Outcomes in relation to available Resources (SHOR) was developed. The SHOR driver and association diagram comprised different perspectives: health, patient, process, research and cost perspectives. It enabled the translation from long-term health outcomes to applications in clinical practice. Implementation Three patient groups exemplify the use and implementation of the method of SHOR association and driver diagram; bipolar disorder (psychiatry), primiparous women with spontaneous onset of labour, (obstetric care) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (somatic care). Evaluation The SHOR driver and association diagram enabled a structure to monitor and support quality development towards maximised health outcomes in relation to available resources and associated total costs for a specific patient group. Lessons learned This method has connected clinical practice, management and research and has been used for both strategic and operational purposes.