Table 5.

Hub recommendations for Common Metrics implementation

Themes and illustrative quotation(s)*
Provide useful benchmarking to inform improvement
Benchmarks would help calibrate performance and identify areas for improvement
I never know what “performing well” is because there’s not necessarily a benchmark. –Principal Investigator
I suppose if I saw data that made us look like we were not doing as well as our sister hubs, I would then be very interested in what they’re saying they’re doing; and maybe we’d adjust our strategies accordingly. –Administrator
Benchmarks are useful if they are accurate and facilitate local improvement
[I]t is so critical…to develop Common Metrics and define very strict parameters on…what that data should look like that’s put into that system, so really we can make valid comparisons across the Consortium. –Administrator
The main recommendation I would have is that these [metrics] should be used primarily to help each site improve…and used longitudinally. There should be less emphasis on comparing one site to another… –Principal Investigator
Disseminate drivers and strategies for improvement
I think [it’d be] helpful [to] see what’s really working well at another place. And then if it looks interesting and it’s something we could implement here, then we…have a little more…data or a plan of what works someplace else to show the leadership at [our hub]… –Administrator
Promote peer-to-peer learning
…[L]et’s say that they reported stats for…about 10 or 15 CTSAs [Clinical and Translational Science Award hubs] that were comparable to ours…and you knew who the institutions were within that group, you could reach out to all of them and ask…, “How are you doing it?” …It just seems like it would be a conversation starter. –Administrator
Use research and assessments to inform decision making
Expand data-driven decision making within the Common Metrics Initiative
The whole reason for having metrics…is to be making data-driven decisions… [W]ith all of the granular information [at hubs],…we ought to have the ability to…see what things might be predictive of “better outcomes” or “shorter IRB times.” –Principal Investigator
…[I]t would be nice if there was a survey to find out what [metrics] people actually are collecting, that we could find “common” metrics, common ground in the data… –Implementer
Share assessments throughout the CTSA Consortium
I think that people are eager to hear about the outcomes of the Common Metrics Initiative and to see the aggregated data, … examples of Turn the Curve plans, and…internal evaluations of whether or not this is worth it and how. [D]emonstrate to the PIs [Principal Investigators] that there is some serious self-reflection that’s going on, and that includes warts and all. –Implementer

^*Unless stated otherwise, themes manifest in more than one way; a quotation represents one manifestation.