Measurement for Improvement

Outlines the principles underpinning measurement for healthcare improvement, emphasising the importance of using multiple measures and approaches to gathering data.

Alene Toulany (Author), Kaveh G. Shojania (Author)

9781009326056, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2025

62 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 0.4 cm, 0.11 kg

The main principles underpinning measurement for healthcare improvement are outlined in this Element. Although there is no single formula for achieving optimal measurement to support improvement, a fundamental principle is the importance of using multiple measures and approaches to gathering data. Using a single measure falls short in capturing the multifaceted aspects of care across diverse patient populations, as well as all the intended and unintended consequences of improvement interventions within various quality domains. Even within a single domain, improvement efforts can succeed in several ways and go wrong in others. Therefore, a family of measures is usually necessary. Clearly communicating a plausible theory outlining how an intervention will lead to desired outcomes informs decisions about the scope and types of measurement used. Improvement teams must tread carefully to avoid imposing undue burdens on patients, clinicians, or organisations. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

1. Introduction
2. Measuring Healthcare Quality
3. Measurement Approaches in Action
4. Validity Considerations in Measurement
5. Concepts and Problems Unique to Measurement for Healthcare Improvement
6. Conclusion
7. Further Reading
Contributors
References.

Subject Areas: Medicine: general issues [MB]