Objective: Initiatives designed to monitor health typically incorporate numerous specific measures of health and the health system to assess improvements, or lack thereof, for policy and program purposes. The addition of summary measures provides overarching information which is essential for determining whether the goals of such initiatives are met. Method: Summary measures are identified that relate to the individual indicators but that also reflect movement in the various parts of the system. Results: A hierarchical framework that is conceptually consistent and which utilizes a succinct number of summary measures incorporating indicators of functioning and participation is proposed. Discussion: While a large set of individual indicators can be useful for monitoring progress, these individual indicators do not provide an overall evaluation of health, defined broadly, at the population level. A hierarchical framework consisting of summary measures is important for monitoring the success of health improvement initiatives.
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