Which of the following is an important characteristic of a performance indicator?

The single most important characteristic of a performance indicator is that it must be measurable. To be useful for quality improvement, an indicator must be quantifiable, allowing an organization to track performance over time, compare results against benchmarks or goals, and determine whether changes have led to improvement. Without measurability, an indicator is merely a concept and cannot provide objective evidence to guide decision-making. This aligns with the "M" in the widely used SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) criteria for setting objectives.

A. An indicator is typically tracked continuously over time; while goals associated with it may be time-limited, the indicator itself is not.
B. A performance indicator can be process-oriented, but this is a type of indicator, not a required characteristic for all indicators.
D. An indicator can be outcome-oriented, but like process measures, this describes a category of indicator, not a universal requirement.

1. National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). (2018). HQ Solutions: Resource for the Healthcare Quality Professional (4th ed.). The Performance Measurement and Improvement section emphasizes that indicators must be defined in a way that is clear

unambiguous

and allows for consistent data collection and measurement.

2. Adair

R.

& Murray

C. (2018). Performance Measurement and Management for Healthcare. In S. B. Ransom

M. S. Joshi

& D. B. Nash (Eds.)

The healthcare quality book: Vision

strategy

and tools (4th ed.

pp. 137-158). Health Administration Press. This chapter states that a key attribute of a good measure is that it is quantifiable and can be expressed as a number

rate

or percentage.