Joseph J. Sistino, MS, MPA, CCP
Objective: Define assessment; review the role of assessment in other applications such as industry and education, and the history of assessment in health care settings.
In the book “Hardwiring Excellence,” the author Quint Studer states that in order to achieve excellence it is necessary to “objectively assess current status and track progress towards achieving goals.” In order to improve results, assessment is a key component. Assessment is based on tracking and improving indicators, and then looking at data and adjusting behavior. Assessment is an integral part of the process and is based on explicit standards which are observable and/or measurable. Assessment can improve outcomes by looking at the difference between the high and low scores and search for different behavior or “best practices”. Assessment is used in education, manufacturing, military, as well as health care to improve results.
Assessment is not an end in itself but a vehicle for improvement. Its effective practice begins with a vision (mission statement). Clear, shared, implementable goals are the cornerstone for assessment that is focused and useful. The improvement process includes: addressing the mission and goals, determining outcomes and objectives, identifying means of assessment and criteria for success, summarizing the collected data and using the results.
In order to be successful, assessment should illuminate questions that people really care about and evaluate the experiences that lead to those outcomes. Assessment works best when it is ongoing and not episodic. Assessment fosters wider improvement when representatives from across the community are involved and are most likely to lead to improvement when it is part of a larger set of conditions that promote change.
