Data-driven performance improvement in health care: the Joint Commission's Indicator Measurement System (IMSystem)

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality measurement
• Performance improvement in healthcare organizations

Background:

• The Joint Commission developed the Indicator Measurement System (IMSystem) to evaluate healthcare organizations' performance.
• The IMSystem uses quantitative indicators to identify areas needing further analysis in patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Indicator Measurement System (IMSystem) as a component of healthcare evaluation.
• To highlight the role of performance indicators in monitoring and improving patient care.

Main Methods:

• Expert task forces develop sets of indicators for specific healthcare functions.
• Indicators undergo alpha testing for face validity and feasibility, followed by beta testing for validity, reliability, and usefulness in performance improvement.

Main Results:

• The IMSystem will initially include ten indicators, with voluntary hospital participation.
• Data transmission to the Joint Commission will exclude patient and physician identifiers, ensuring privacy.

Conclusions:

• The IMSystem aims to provide organizations with data for performance monitoring and improvement.
• Hospital participation in the IMSystem is expected to become mandatory for accreditation by 1996.