Essential practice performance measurement.

The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of how to develop and implement a performance measurement system in radiology departments. Although an extensive literature review (PubMed, MEDLINE, etc) was carried out to search for relevant published scientific papers, the number of publications regarding performance indicators in radiology departments was very limited. The present paper reflects the current approach to performance measurement in health care services based on the available literature, which may be applied to the field of radiology. Performance indicators are tools that evaluate an organizations progress toward its goals . In radiology, in addition to finance, other aspects that affect the functioning of the organization, such as clinical productivity and patient satisfaction, also need to be assessed. The main categories of indicators adopted in radiology departments include: (1) productivity, (2) finance, (3) patient safety, (4) access, and (5) customer satisfaction. Once specific indicators in each of these categories are selected, the data collection methods should be incorporated into the routine departmental processes. Information obtained should be made available to all stakeholders via various media. In conclusion, performance indicators establish a common denominator in order to make comaparisons of the organization's performance over time. To improve the quality of services, these indicators should be benchmarked, i.e., the processes should be compared to the best in the field.