Healthcare Performance Measurement Standards

Posted: April 4th, 2019

Healthcare Performance Measurement Standards

Read the following article:

Safavi, K. S. (2006). The measurement conundrum. Journal of Healthcare
Management, 51(5), 287–290.

In the article, Safavi (2006, p. 290) asks: “Is the goal to establish relative rank or absolute levels of performance?” Safavi also states that the basic dilemma in selecting a measurement system is whether “to judge performance from the outside or to improve performance from the inside” (p. 287).

Discuss the following from the perspective of a provider:

Assuming the measurement system is intended to judge the performance from outside, evaluate the use of a standard based on relative rank and absolute levels of performance. Which one would you use? Why or why not?
Assuming the measurement system is intended to judge the performance from inside, evaluate the use of a standard based on relative rank and absolute levels of performance. Which one would you use? Why or why not?
How will different circumstances impact performance measurement when it is based on relative rank and absolute levels? Support with examples.
Justify your responses using examples.

You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.

Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.

Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.

The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CLASS

Discussion Questions (DQ)

Initial responses to the DQ should address all components of the questions asked, include a minimum of one scholarly source, and be at least 250 words.
Successful responses are substantive (i.e., add something new to the discussion, engage others in the discussion, well-developed idea) and include at least one scholarly source.
One or two sentence responses, simple statements of agreement or “good post,” and responses that are off-topic will not count as substantive. Substantive responses should be at least 150 words.
I encourage you to incorporate the readings from the week (as applicable) into your responses.

Weekly Participation

Your initial responses to the mandatory DQ do not count toward participation and are graded separately.
In addition to the DQ responses, you must post at least one reply to peers (or me) on three separate days, for a total of three replies.
Participation posts do not require a scholarly source/citation (unless you cite someone else’s work).
Part of your weekly participation includes viewing the weekly announcement and attesting to watching it in the comments. These announcements are made to ensure you understand everything that is due during the week.
As a healthcare provider, the selection of a measurement system depends on the intended purpose of the measurement. If the system is intended to judge performance from the outside, a standard based on absolute levels of performance should be used. This is because absolute levels of performance provide a clear, objective standard against which performance can be evaluated. For example, in measuring the performance of a healthcare facility in reducing patient readmission rates, a standard based on absolute levels of performance will indicate the percentage of readmissions that is acceptable, and the facility can be judged based on whether they meet that standard.

On the other hand, if the measurement system is intended to improve performance from the inside, a standard based on relative rank should be used. This is because relative rank compares performance against that of other healthcare providers and can provide motivation for improvement. For example, a healthcare facility may compare its performance against that of other facilities in the region to identify areas where they need to improve.

Different circumstances can impact performance measurement when it is based on relative rank and absolute levels. For instance, if a healthcare provider is ranked lower than others in its region, it may be motivated to improve its performance. However, if the provider is performing poorly but meets the absolute standard, it may not be motivated to improve. Conversely, if a provider is ranked high, it may not see the need to improve, even if its performance falls below the absolute standard. Therefore, healthcare providers must carefully consider the intended purpose of the measurement system before selecting a standard.

In conclusion, the selection of a measurement system depends on the intended purpose of the measurement. Healthcare providers should use a standard based on absolute levels of performance when the system is intended to judge performance from the outside and a standard based on relative rank when the system is intended to improve performance from the inside. Providers should also consider different circumstances that may impact performance measurement when selecting a standard.