Which of the following is an economic outcome measure?

• A. BP
• B. Survival
• C. Costs of care
• D. Patient satisfaction

Answer: (C)

Economic outcomes focus on the financial side of care—the costs and resource use associated with delivering treatment. Costs of care quantifies the money spent on hospital stays, procedures, medications, and other resources, which is what economic outcome measures capture. In contrast, blood pressure is a physiological parameter, survival is a clinical outcome, and patient satisfaction reflects patient experience. So costs of care best represents the economic outcome measure. This kind of data supports evaluating value and cost-effectiveness across interventions.