Longitudinal outcomes measurement and management. Standardized practices across the continuum of care.

Longitudinal outcomes measurement involves collection of outcomes data across a continuum of care services in a patient cohort. Measurement and management of intermediate outcomes, within the varied care settings represented by the continuum, must precede measurement of long-term outcomes to provide meaningful information to providers. Once connected across a continuum of services, longitudinal outcomes measures produce powerful findings that may be used to successfully optimize the health care experience for patients and their families. The postacute continuum is ripe with research opportunities and should be pursued with vigor by outcomes researchers interested in understanding the contributions of this segment of the continuum to the production of patient outcomes.