The objective of this exercise is to develop a set of performance metrics for a hospital according to the measurement hierarchy outlined by Walsh (2005) and described in this competency. This exercise will hone your ability to distinguish different types of measures. Complete the steps outlined below: 1. Read the case that follows: St. Angela's Hospital has decided to adopt the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to help it meet its mission: providing the highest-quality health care in a caring, community setting. You have been asked to organize and lead a task force to address Criteria 3.2, part b, related to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Use the abbreviated version of instructions from 2006 Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence instrument shown below to prepare a brief report that proposes a set of measures you think are needed to give the hospital the data needed to improve performance with respect to patient satisfaction. (For more detailed information, you can find the entire Criteria at http://www. baldrige.nist.gov/HealthCare_Criteria.htm.) Questions from 3.2 b. Patient Satisfaction Determination (abridged from the Criteria; see NIST, 2006). a. HOW do you determine PATIENT satisfaction and dissatisfaction? HOW do you ensure that your measurements capture actionable information for use in securing your PATIENTS' future interactions with your organization, and gaining positive referrals, as appropriate? HOW do you use PATIENT satisfaction and dissatisfaction information for improvement? tablishing and Maintaining Stability and Continuity b. HOW do you follow up with PATIENTS on the quality of HEALTH CARE SERVICES and transactions to receive prompt and actionable feedback? c. HOW do you obtain and use information on PATIENTS' satisfaction relative to their satisfaction with your competitors, other organizations providing similar HEALTH CARE SERVICES, and or health care industry BENCHMARKS? d. HOW do you keep your APPROACHES to determining satisfaction current with HEALTH CARE SERVICE needs and directions? 2. Craft an outline for a report with these elements: a. Identify where each measure fics in terms of Walsh's (2005) hierarchy (e.g., Exact Outcome, Proxy Outcome, Process, or Initiative Measure). b. Describe each measure in terms of its Objectivity, Completeness, and Responsiveness. c. Justify that the combination of measures being recommended will capture the data necessary to meet the Criteria without imposing too high a cost on St. Angela's Hospital. Reflection The type of measures that organizations choose to collect and the ways in which data are categorized can convey important messages about organizational values. But often, organizations send mixed messages. In health care, high standards of performance are expected, but beliefs that perfection is attainable can result in pressure to cover up mistakes, particularly when investigations of errors focus on blaming individuals rather than identifying problems with organizational systems (Jones, 2002)