Measuring clinical performance may have unintended beneficial effects on patients and providers beyond the direct clinical benchmarks under consideration, according to research in BMJ Quality & Safety.
To analyze the effects clinical performance measurements systems have on patients and providers, researchers conducted interviews with nearly 60 primary care staff and facility leaders at four Veterans Health Administration hospitals.
Staff observed patients had increased knowledge and motivation during performance measurement initiatives, which led to improved hospital performance scores. In addition, patients seemed to experience more satisfaction with care, and patients and providers communicated more effectively. For providers, performance measurement initiatives "increased pride in individual or organizational performance and [inspired] greater confidence that one's practice [was] grounded in evidence-based medicine," according to the study authors.
Researchers suggest clinical performance, patient care and provider satisfaction could improve more quickly through a better understanding of the nuances associated with performance measurement.
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