Organisation:
Burn Care Netherlands
Health care sector:
Hospital
Implemented solution:
Burn Care Netherlands and Lighthouse Software are working together to further improve the quality of patient-centred care in Dutch burn centres. To support this goal, all burn centres in the Netherlands use QuestManager from Lighthouse Software to measure patient-reported outcomes.
Burn care in the Netherlands is already of a high standard. However, there is still room for improvement when it comes to patient-centred care and shared decision-making, according to Lotte van Dammen, project coordinator of the outcomes registry Burn Centers Outcome Registry the Netherlands (BORN):
“New digital innovations offer increasing opportunities to make patient care not only better in terms of quality, but also more personalised. BORN was set up to improve the quality of care and quality of life for patients. We do this by systematically measuring and recording outcomes of care that are important to patients. This enables us to tailor treatment plans even more precisely to each patient’s needs and preferences.”
“All adult patients being treated in one of our burn centres are asked to participate in the programme. At set moments, they receive questionnaires focusing on quality of life, physical and psychological functioning, participation, work, pain and scarring. The outcomes are immediately visible to the treating physicians and nurses, giving them insight into what is going well – and what isn’t – during the course of treatment. Based on these insights, the treatment plan can be adjusted if needed.”
To facilitate this process, BORN uses QuestManager, a digital solution from Lighthouse Software designed to collect and automatically analyse outcome measures such as PROMs (Patient-Reported Outcome Measures).
In addition to the adult programme, Burn Care Netherlands has also launched a dedicated outcomes measurement pathway for children.
“The outcomes registry for children has existed for several years,” explains Van Dammen, “but it’s now more closely aligned with what really matters to children recovering from burns. We also critically reviewed the content and length of the questionnaires to minimise the burden on both children and parents. The questionnaire now consists of just 12 to 14 questions and includes smiley faces 😃 🙂 😐 🙁 😭 on the response scales, making it easier and more accessible for children to complete together with their parents.”
This approach ensures that even the youngest patients can meaningfully participate in their own recovery process.
By using the data generated by QuestManager, Burn Care Netherlands aims to build a comprehensive database in the coming years that provides insight into patients’ quality of life following a burn injury or related condition.
“By combining the questionnaire results with clinical data about the injury and treatment, we can identify which treatment pathways lead to the best quality of life outcomes for patients.”
BORN is now fully implemented in all burn centres affiliated with Burn Care Netherlands.
Van Dammen: “Based on the outcome measurements, many patients take part in follow-up conversations where goals are set or adjusted in the treatment plan. It also gives us valuable insight into quality of life before and after specific surgeries.
We’re now entering a phase of evaluation in which we are asking ourselves: Are we measuring the right outcomes, and are we using the right tools to do so? We’re also taking a close look at the processes surrounding the outcomes measurement itself. All in all, this is a significant step forward in elevating patient-centred and burn care to the next level.”
