Successful businesses run by metrics and measures, gauging their progress toward strategic goals and milestones. These targets do not exist for their own sake; rather, they create a framework of achievement and accountability within the company and, externally, among all stakeholders. In the health-care industry, measures and metrics are crucial to delivering high-quality, effective care. Indeed, as health-care reform is implemented by policymakers and regulators, the health-care industry is turning increasingly to measures and metrics to judge the quality and efficiency of care delivery-everything from the average length of stay for patients admitted to the flow of individuals treated in the emergency department. Satisfaction surveys of patients and families provide feedback about

the individual experience, which has a direct link to clinical outcomes. Patients who have good treatment experiences are more apt to follow doctors’ orders, and thus improve their health status and reduce their need for readmission.