Which example best illustrates a process measure in quality improvement?

• A. Proportion of prescribed medications delivered within 30 minutes of order.
• B. Rate of hospital-acquired infections.
• C. Mortality rate.
• D. Patient satisfaction score.

Answer: (A)

Focusing on process measures, the key idea is to track whether a specific step in the care sequence is carried out as intended. This example evaluates a concrete action in the medication administration workflow—delivering prescribed meds within 30 minutes of the order. It’s directly actionable: the team can test changes to ordering, dispensing, or delivery processes to improve this timing. Process measures are designed to reflect the performance of care activities that, when done reliably, tend to influence outcomes. In contrast, the other metrics look at end results—hospital-acquired infections, mortality, and patient satisfaction—which are influenced by many factors beyond a single step in the process and are harder to improve through targeted process changes. So this example best illustrates a process measure because it focuses on whether a specific care process is performed within a defined timeframe.