Significant variation exists in both the types and definitions of outcome measures used in patient registries, even within the same clinical area. This variation, makes it difficult to compare, link, and aggregate data across a range of registries reflective of the spectrum of clinical care and reporting, thus reducing the potential utility of registry data. To address these limitations, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) developed the Outcome Measures Framework (OMF), a conceptual model for classifying outcomes that are relevant to patients and providers across most conditions; it is intended to serve as a content model for developing harmonized outcome measures for specific clinical areas.
This report describes the process developed and used by the project team to assess the overall feasibility of using the OMF to develop standardized libraries of outcome measures, including the selection of clinical areas, recruitment of the registry and stakeholder workgroups, methodology for harmonizing outcome measures, and approach to creating standardized data definitions. The report also discusses the results from each clinical workgroup, as well as the lessons learned from each phase of the project. The final section of the report includes recommendations for future work to expand beyond the feasibility-testing stage.