Improving the process of collection and use of quality indicators in the NKI-AVL

Each year, hospitals are obliged to register and retrieve indicator data, which are used for the measurement of quality in Dutch hospitals by external organizations like the Health Care Inspectorate. The amount of indicator requests and the complexity of processes concerning indicators in hospitals in the Netherlands require a clear management towards indicators. The NKI-AVL (Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital), a hospital specialized in the treatment of cancer, is one of the hospitals trying to optimize the management of indicators. This research determines the current indicator managemen, whereupon a benchmark provides improvement possibilities, which results in a proposed indicator management vor the NKI-AVL. Finally, the ability of indicators to reflect quality in hospitals is dicussed.