Outcome Studies Comparing Regional and General Anesthesia.

Substantial increase in healthcare costs has contributed to the development of outcomes research in the United States. Outcomes research evaluates the effectiveness of healthcare interventions in many aspects of patient care (clinical outcomes, functional health status, patient satisfaction, health-related quality of life) and reflects national trends in determining appropriateness, value, and quality of health care.1 Outcomes research in regional anesthesia has traditionally focused on clinically oriented outcomes, such as overall mortality and major morbidity (cardiovascular, pulmonary, coagulation, cognitive, gastrointestinal, immune, stress response).2 This chapter examines the currently available evidence comparing regional and general anesthesia in terms of clinically oriented outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]