Healthcare quality process measures

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Quality measures are defined as metrics, indicators, or ratings which provide information in regards to the quality of care that patients are receiving in a particular setting. A process measure is a type of quality measure that assess a health service provided to or on behalf of a patient. Healthcare quality process measures are often used to recommend guidelines for clinical practice based on scientific evidence or consensus.



Standardization of Process Measures Evidence based research is used to create guidelines for healthcare. Once guidelines are developed, standardization of process measures can be achieved. The following formula is an example:

In Accordance With Guidelines:

 Number of Patients Who Receive Care/Number of Patients Eligible for Care


This would allow a quality assessment comparison of what was actually done to what should have been done. (From there, reasons why, or why not care was given or not given can be explored further)

Advantages

1. Can be used to provide feedback for quality improvement initiatives. It also provides information that is actionable, what is being done well or what needs improvement. It gives the ability to accurately reflect the care that clinicians are providing. 2. Minimal risk adjustment for patients illness. A process measure requires defining a population that is eligible to receive the process. For example, patient population to receive aspirin upon admittance to ER for chest pain. 3. Data collection can be done when clinical process is occurring. This eliminates the need for additional tracking of patients for data collection.

Disadvantages 1. May be difficult to specify population eligible for a process. There may be many exclusions ??? indications. 2. Not as valued to patients and non-clinicians. Patients believe providers responsibility to perform appropriate care and are only concerned about outcome.

Relationship b/n Process Measures and Outcome Measures

Process measures assess weather specific healthcare services are provided to an individual who needs them based on their conditions and place of tx????. Outcome measures assess how patients actually fair during and after their tx??. Outcome measures attempt to gauge the comprehensive result of multiple healthcare services (or processes) provided to and individual.

Donabedian?? Proposed that we measure quality of healthcare by observing its structure, process, outcomes…