Quality indicators are categorized as structure, process, or outcome measures based on their focus within the healthcare delivery system.
Option A (Satisfaction): Satisfaction measures patient or staff perceptions (e.g., survey scores), not objective measures like waiting times, which are operational.
Option B (Process): This is the correct answer. Clinic waiting times are a process indicator, as they measure the efficiency of care delivery processes (e.g., patient flow, scheduling). NAHQ CPHQ study materials classify waiting times as a process measure, reflecting how care is delivered.
Option C (Outcome): Outcome indicators measure the results of care (e.g., mortality, infection rates), not the processes leading to those outcomes.
Option D (Structural): Structural indicators focus on resources or infrastructure (e.g., staffing levels, equipment), not operational processes like waiting times.
[Reference: NAHQ CPHQ Study Guide, Domain 2: Health Data Analytics, defines process indicators as measures of care delivery activities, such as clinic waiting times., , , ]
