The Septoplasty Healthcare Monitor: an outcome assessment infrastructure
to enhance the quality and transparency of care
Abstract
Objective and design: The growing demand for transparency about
the efficacy of healthcare has accelerated the use of Patient-Reported
Outcome Measures (PROMs), but their integration into daily practice is
challenging. This observational study describes how the Septoplasty
Healthcare Monitor (SHM) addresses these challenges and highlights the
benefits of standardized outcome assessments and visualization for
various stakeholders, including physicians and patients. Main
outcome measures: Since 2014, all eligible septoplasty patients have
been included in the SHM. Patients are automatically offered the Nasal
Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale and bilateral Visual
Analogue Scales (VAS) to assess nasal obstruction before initial
consultation, and during postoperative visits. Data are entered into a
preformatted database and automatically analyzed. Real-time results are
visually presented on a user-friendly dashboard. Results: A
total of 173 patients participated. First, the dashboard provides
insights into outcomes on a cohort level. The mean NOSE scores
significantly decreased from 68.8 ± 19.0 at baseline to 19.8 ± 22.3 at
12 months. VAS scores improved from 4.6 ± 3.0 (left) and 4.7 ± 2.9
(right) preoperatively to 7.5 ± 2.1 (left) and 7.6 ± 1.7 (right) at 12
months ( p < 0.001). Second, quality of care is
monitored through annual performance metrics, and can be improved by
critically appraising auto-identified underperforming patients. Third,
visualization of individual PROM symptom-severity scores in relation to
peers assists in patient-counseling and shared decision-making.
Conclusion: The integration of standardized outcome assessments
into daily practice is highly valuable but challenging. The SHM
addresses these challenges and offers opportunities to enhance
septoplasty care standards.