Continuous Quality Improvement Initiative
Measures
You have selected your focus for improvement. The next step is to collect data about how your process works and how it currently performs. Think through the following:
• What characteristics of the process can you measure?
• What is the best way to measure the process you have targeted? The answer could be a simple count, a percentage, a rate or any other number you can generate reliably that is meaningful to the process selected
• What person(s) is best able to collect the data you need?
• How many measures do you need to get a valid picture of what is going on?
• How will you analyze the data?
• Is there any benchmark (standard or goal) against which you can compare yourself?
Based on the answers to these questions, you will need to create a data collection plan and then create a useful data collection form.
You will want to test your data collection strategy and form on a few cases before starting formal data collection. If necessary, use this information to revise the data collection plan.
When you are confident that your measurement plan is realistic and valid, you can collect your baseline data.
More information to help you with planning your measures can be found by clicking on one of the following links:
