Measuring quality in pediatric ophthalmology.

Pediatric ophthalmologists should respond to quality expectations inherent in all disciplines of medicine. The specialists must be able to collect data to document and prove the quality of their work if it anticipates continued reimbursement for services. Quality of medical practice is assessed by outcomes research, which is different from clinical research. All specialists are systemically measuring individual and group outcomes across the spectrum of American health care systems. Pediatric ophthalmologists, both in private practice and at academic centers, must concentrate their research efforts on the assessment of cost, quality, utilization, and patient-centered health-related quality of life for the most common pathologies in pediatric ophthalmology practice.