Which of the following is an example of a humanistic outcome?

• A. Patient satisfaction
• B. Survival
• C. Blood pressure
• D. Quality of life measure rated high

Answer: (D)

Humanistic outcomes focus on the patient’s subjective experience and overall well-being, including how illness and treatment affect daily functioning and life enjoyment. A high quality of life measure directly captures the patient’s perceived well-being and ability to enjoy life, which is exactly what humanistic outcomes aim to reflect. Survival and blood pressure are biomedical endpoints—survival is about length of life, and blood pressure is a physiological parameter. While patient satisfaction relates to the care experience, it doesn’t necessarily measure the broader sense of well-being that quality of life assesses. So the example that best fits a humanistic outcome is the quality of life measure rated high.