The incidence of postoperative wound infections occurring in ORIF procedures in which antibiotics were and were not utilized is an example of which type of performance measure?

• A. Output measure
• B. Process measure
• C. Balancing measure
• D. Outcome measure

Answer: (D)

This item tests how we categorize quality measures by what they evaluate in patient care. The incidence of postoperative wound infections after ORIF, comparing cases with and without antibiotics, looks at the end result for patients—the health outcome that results from the care they received. Outcome measures focus on patient health status after treatment, such as infections, complications, or mortality, not on how care was delivered. If the focus were on whether the antibiotic prophylaxis was given correctly (timing, dose), that would be a process measure, which examines the steps of care rather than the patient’s health outcome. A structure measure would look at the system or resources in place, like antibiotic availability or staffing. Balancing measures are used to check for unintended consequences of a change, which isn’t the central point of this question. So the infection rate after surgery is best described as an outcome measure.