Using clinical indicators to change clinical practice

A study of the qualitative information received by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) Care Evaluation Program (CEP) in 1993 showed that the monitoring of clinical indicators had the potential to stimulate a variety of quality activities within health-care organizations. To determine whether the potential for improved patient outcomes has continued, the ACHS CEP conducted a survey of those organizations which submitted clinical indicator data as part of their accreditation survey in 1995. Analysis of the qualitative data received showed that change was reported on 505 occasions by organizations monitoring the hospital-wide medical and obstetrics and gynaecology clinical indicator sets. Details of 251 reported changes were received through a follow-up survey. These details provide evidence that clinical indicators are being used to implement changes in clinical practice to improve the quality of patient care.