Topic Last updated Jan. 2007

Evaluation of Process and
Effects of Change

Overview

Improvement and measurement are intertwined. To make meaningful improvements, we must first make changes, then measure those changes and evaluate whether they were improvements. Having a reliable system for measuring change and evaluating the outcome of the change is essential. This section covers principles for collecting and using data. Different types and sources of data, as well as examples of data use, are presented.

Why Measure Change?

Changes in practice will cause changes in results. Clinical practices will find that data can be used to improve medical practice performance, particularly if measurement is embedded into the flow of daily work in the practice. These data can help health care professionals to:

• Diagnose strengths and weaknesses in practice performance
• Make improvement and innovations in services
• Manage patients' needs more effectively
• Evaluate changes in results over time

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