The percentage of antibiotics administered immediately prior to open reduction internal fixation surgeries is an example of which type of performance measure?

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

Answer: (A)

This focuses on how a care process is carried out. Measuring the percentage of patients who receive antibiotics immediately before surgery examines a specific step in the surgical care pathway—how the preventive measure is delivered—rather than the environment or the results of care. That makes it a process measure: it evaluates whether the workflow and actions taken during care follow the intended protocol.

Why this fits better than the others: a structure measure would look at the resources or systems in place (like whether an antibiotic formulary or perioperative protocol exists). An outcome measure would assess the results of care (such as the rate of surgical site infections). A balancing measure would explore unintended effects of the change (for example, rises in adverse drug events or antibiotic resistance). The timing of antibiotic administration directly assesses the delivery of care, not the resources or outcomes, so it is a process measure.