Tools

Tools

Big Dots and Small Dots

•  Big Dot Little Dot, Defining Quality Measures (PowerPoint presentation,  St. Joseph’s Hospital Hamilton, June 2009)
• Big Dot criteria include:
1. Institution wide (not program specific)
2. Outcome driven (not a process indicator)
3. Connect to other little dots or processes (multi-faceted)
4. Reflect the organizations strategic priorities
5. Reflect the organizations quality definition
•  Quality of Healthcare in Canada: A Chartbook

Dashboards for the Board

• Dashboards 101, an introduction to dashboards for non-profit governing boards
• IHI Boards on Boards:  Boards, Dashboards and Data (PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Jim Reinertsen)
•  Sample measures for dashboard include measures of:  Quality, Access, Process/Efficiency/Outcome and Satisfaction (Hundert & Topp, 2003)

Linking Data to Broader Organizational Strategy

•  St. Joseph’s Hospital Hamilton Strategic Plan Goal Tracking Board, Quarterly Report is an example of a dashboard for an acute care hospital.
•  Saskatoon Health Region’s performance dashboard reports on regional indicators according to Quality, People, Finance, and Learning & Growth; and is linked with the strategic priorities of Transforming the Care and Service Experience, Transforming the Work Experience, Building a Sustainable Integrated System and Fostering Research, Learning and Innovation.
•  Capital Health in Nova Scotia prepares a Strategic Indicators Report as a monthly report for the Board of Directors and the Quality and Patient Safety Committee of the Board. The indicators align with the District's strategic priorities which focus on people-centeredness.
•  Capital Health in Nova Scotia also developed an Information Management strategic plan which outlined the guiding principles of information management, key stakeholders and information management strategies.

Recommended Reading:

•  Hundert, M, Topp, A (2003) “Issues in the Governance of Canadian Hospitals IV: Quality of Hospital Care” Hospital Quarterly 6(4): 60-62.
•  Heenan, M, Kahn, H & Binkley, D (2010) “From Boardroom to Bedside: How to Define and Measure Hospital Quality” Healthcare Quarterly, 13(1): 55-60.