Effectiveness of Care

Effectiveness is providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit and refraining from providing services to those not likely to benefit (avoiding underuse and overuse, respectively). At their core, health care organizations across the continuum aim to provide effective care. Examination of mission statements from any clinic, hospital, or research institution will quickly affirm this. Whether the intervention is a drug, therapy, device, diagnostic test, preventative service, or watchful waiting, the aim is to produce better outcomes for our patients. In this chapter, we will explore how the evidence for effective care is generated and perceived, the efficacy to effectiveness (E-e) gradient, how the E-e gradient is being addressed in science, and future directions in effectiveness as a dimension of quality.