Table 2

Criteria for tracer clinical activities

1

The tracer activity is easy to define

2

The tracer activity relates to morbidity that is amenable to improvement by medical care

3

There is a sound scientific basis for discriminating between good and less than good performance for the tracer activity

4

The effects of non-medical factors on the tracer activity performance should be adequately understood

5

Each tracer activity should yield data on enough patients for valid statistical analysis

6

Together these activities should span the range of morbidity covered by the health care professional

7

Together these activities should span the range of skills required by the health care professionals

8

Together these activities should span the range of resources specified by the health care professionals

Walker et al. BMC Health Services Research 2003 3:22   doi:10.1186/1472-6963-3-22