The foundations of care giving, which include buildings, equipment, professional staff, and appropriate policies, are included in which area of performance measurement?

• A. Systems
• B. Processes
• C. Outcomes
• D. Structures

Answer: (A)

Foundations like buildings, equipment, professional staff, and policies describe the setting and resources where care occurs. In performance measurement, this is the structural domain. Structures capture the environment and resource availability that enable care delivery—the things you need before any care can happen. They shape which processes are possible and can influence outcomes, but they are not the processes themselves or the results. Therefore, these items belong to the structural area, not to processes, outcomes, or a broader system view.