Different types of data can be used in order to evaluate patients’ health outcomes locally in clinical settings, as well as at the national level. In a nurse’s working environment, data on patients’ health status, the best practices, medication prescription, medication adherence, health effects, and follow-up visits are regularly collected to be further used for assessing health and treatment outcomes. It is necessary to note that data for evaluation usually include information that is presented in electronic health records and hospital reports, as well as clinical and research findings (Demiris et al., 2019). All the pieces of information are important for nurses and other healthcare providers in order to conclude on health outcomes for different groups of patients. For example, all gathered health-related information is properly examined using descriptive and analytical methods in order to determine certain tendencies and relationships to conclude on the effectiveness of particular interventions, approaches, or practices. Therefore, the process of collecting clinical and research data is prolonged and time-consuming, but it is highly important for healthcare professionals to evaluate outcomes for patients.
At the national level, the evaluation of data is completed by such organizations as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others in order to determine epidemiological trends in the country. Thus, the data from different regions are sent to these organizations for their further analysis and assessment (Schmidt & Brown, 2019). The next step is the use of evaluation results for the formulation of specific guidelines and recommendations in order to guarantee the further improvement of health outcomes in states (Demiris et al., 2019). This example demonstrates the importance of collecting and analyzing different types of medical and research data in the healthcare sphere.
References
Demiris, G., Iribarren, S. J., Sward, K., Lee, S., & Yang, R. (2019). Patient generated health data use in clinical practice: A systematic review. Nursing Outlook, 67(4), 311-330.
Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2019). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and application of research (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.