Automation of performance measures

Performance of generic indicators is measurements that are designed to provide insight into the processes of a hospital or medical staff. Since their beginning in the 1980's, generic indicators have traditionally provided clinical and satisfaction data. A balanced report including financial, utilization and satisfaction indicators provides a comprehensive high-level picture for the administration and medical staff leadership. This information lends itself to a consistent, automated process to compare information across hospitals and medical staff departments. This thesis describes the efforts of the Automation Team of the Quality Resource of the Urban Central Region Intermountain Health Care, Inc. to (1) standardize corporately defined genetic indicators definition, (2) publish the indicator data quarterly for governing board, medical executive committee and medial staff departments through an automated application, (3) provide a method for statistical analysis for each indicator and (4) evaluate the process of Performance Measures Report (PMR) production though a study of content and efficiency of report production. Standardized definitions and data sources were developed and provided on IHC's Intranet. Quarterly reports were produced using the Intranet. Analysis of the reports did not demonstrate a significant improvement in the consistency of required elements on the PMR. The percentage of indicator with special cause variation did not change, but the automated application provided a method to identify indicators with this variation prior to the presentation of the reports to the medical staff department. The efficiency of report production was statistically improved (10.51 hours vs. 7.01 hours, p = .0004). A decrease in independent data sources used to produce the report was also noted (7.05 vs 5.36 sources p = .0005). The process of automation provide vale to IHC through providing consistent, reproducible definition, standardized data sources, identification of report standards, and a consistent method for statistical analysis.