Health outcome measures

Our goal

Our goal is to achieve better outcomes for injured New Zealanders, support providers to do what they do best, be innovative and try new ways of doing things, and deliver value for all New Zealanders.

To help us achieve these goals, we need to collect health outcomes data. Collecting health outcomes data is happening around the world as health systems try to better match the health needs of people to the services they fund. 

Health outcome measures will help us understand the value of the services we provide, compare treatments across different client groups and different providers, highlight any differences in outcomes for Māori and other client groups, and guide service design and improvement. 

What are health outcomes? 

A health outcome is defined as a change in health status due to a health intervention. This could range from a single treatment to a set of services over a period of time. Health outcomes are the results that matter most to patients.  

There are many health outcome measures, we’re looking at patient reported outcomes measures (PROMs), patient reported experience measures (PREMs), and clinical outcome measures.  

The collection of PROMs will allow us to understand what is important to clients in their recovery journey and how they feel about their recovery. 

Benefits of collecting health outcome measures 

Collecting health outcomes data is an opportunity for our clients to tell us about their recovery and what matters to them. It will:

• support providers with their clinical care, decision making, and building better relationships with their patients.  
• highlight any differences in outcomes across all client groups, in particular Māori.  
• help us understand the effectiveness and value of the services we fund, enabling us to keep the ACC scheme sustainable and available to all New Zealanders.   

Learn more about the importance of health outcome measures

Our trials 

We have a series of trials underway to understand how we can methodically collect and use patient reported health outcomes in four specific groups of clients. These groups include patients with a variety of injuries.

Patients who have an upper or lower limb fracture

Status: completion due soon

• We’re testing the feasibility of collecting health outcome measures, through our own survey platform, from clients with an upper or lower limb fracture who have a managed or non-managed claim. ​ 
• ​The trial started on 11 October 2021 and data collection will end in November 2022.​ 

Patients who have suffered a concussion

Status: completion due soon

• We’re testing whether treatment providers can collect outcome measures using a third-party platform supplier.
• ​This works is in collaboration with ABI Rehabilitation, Auckland University of Technology and The Clinician, a third-party platform supplier.
• ​​The trial commenced in July 2021, and due to conclude October 2022.

Patients who access physiotherapy from a private clinic or a district health board outpatient clinic

Status: trial began August 2022 

• This trial is being led by Physiotherapy New Zealand (PNZ) and will survey outpatient physiotherapy clients presenting with a musculoskeletal complaint. ​ 
• ​Our shared interest in collecting health outcomes means we’ve been working in partnership with PNZ on the trial.  
• PNZ are working with a third-party platform provider to collect the health outcome measures.

Visit PNZ for more information

The trials will use PROMs specifically chosen to provide information on a client’s well-being as we currently have little visibility of a clients’ treatment or rehabilitation journey, and their perspectives on recovery.