Two middle aged women, both with the chief complaint of back and radiating leg pain.  My guest expert is Mr. Mark Werneke of Freehold, NJ USA.

In this installment of Case Conversations my guest expert, Mr. Mark Werneke, presents, in essence,  a mini-course on patient outcomes including some background information that has led to his current clinical practice of outcomes collection.  He also shares what is accepted as best practices for collecting outcomes and what procedures and elements are needed.  He explains how that outcome data guides treatment and management for best care.  Following Mark's introduction, you’ll hear practical applications of these ideas played out through two of Mark’s patients who both presented with similar conditions and mechanical response but one, who had risk factors predicting a poor outcome, failed to show the expected improvement in functional status.  You’ll see how Mark uses patient reported outcomes data and status change over time and how that directed a needed change in his approach in order to achieve a good outcome in one of those patients.  You'll come away with a better understanding of what is crucial as you start or progress your efforts and prepare for alternative payment models and value-based purchasing. (1 hour 4 minutes and 35 seconds)