Priori outcomes: oxymoron or practice plan.

This assessment helped shape the practice of a nurse administered mobile clinic serving three rural communities. Needed services were identified and existing services were customized to improve the overall health of the communities. With the dynamic state of health care systems, each practice is subject to influence by managed care and populations who, in turn, respond with changes in need, resources, and adaptation to the system dynamics. Nurse practitioners struggling to match resources and patient needs could use a similar research design to assess their practice, discover significant relationships, and redesign practice plans to fit specific practice settings.