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CARE-IT Core KPIs

Purpose​

CARE-IT Core KPIs are strategic reflection indicators.

They are not designed to evaluate the performance of individual systems,
but to assess whether the organization consistently applies its own governance architecture.

KPIs do not answer the question
how well a system performs.

They answer the question:

Does our governance logic for digital clinical infrastructure function as intended?

Distinction from the Maturity Model​

The maturity model describes structural development stages
along the foundational principles.

Core KPIs, by contrast, are periodic observation indicators.

They:

  • do not aggregate maturity levels
  • do not generate a scoring system
  • do not replace qualitative assessment
  • are not an audit checklist

Maturity describes development orientation.
KPIs represent organizational self-observation.

Nature of the KPIs​

CARE-IT KPIs are:

  • structural indicators
  • governance indicators
  • transparency indicators
  • reflection metrics

They do not measure outcome performance,
but structural consistency.

Examples of what KPIs may make visible:

  • Are clinical benefit decisions documented prior to investment?
  • Are risk decisions explicitly recorded?
  • Are clinical system constellations up to date?
  • Are responsibilities formally confirmed?
  • Are lifecycles actively monitored?
  • Is innovation structurally integrated?

KPIs reveal whether principles are lived in practice.

KPI Categories​

CARE-IT Core KPIs can be grouped into four categories:

Effectiveness Orientation​

Reflect whether clinical effectiveness is systematically addressed.

Risk Transparency​

Reflect whether patient-relevant risks are explicitly evaluated and consciously assumed under regulatory operator responsibility.

Responsibility and Architectural Transparency​

Reflect whether clinical system constellations are documented and responsibilities clearly allocated.

Sustainability and Innovation Capability​

Reflect whether lifecycle governance and controlled evolution are structurally managed.

These categories are indirectly aligned with the foundational principles,
without mechanically quantifying them.

Typical Misinterpretations​

CARE-IT KPIs are not:

  • a performance dashboard
  • IT service reporting
  • a project controlling instrument
  • a scoring model for principles

They are not a tool for evaluating individuals or teams.

If KPIs are misunderstood as performance metrics,
they lose their architectural purpose.

Role in Governance​

Core KPIs belong at leadership level.

They are:

  • reviewed periodically
  • discussed within governance bodies
  • used to identify structural weaknesses

They do not steer individual projects operationally.
They assess whether CARE-IT as a governance system remains effective.

Conclusion​

CARE-IT Core KPIs are not additional reporting requirements.

They are a mirror of the organization’s governance architecture.

If KPIs reveal that:

  • benefit is not documented,
  • risks are not explicitly evaluated,
  • responsibilities are not clearly allocated,
  • lifecycles are not actively managed,

then the issue does not lie in the system —
but in the organizational structure.

KPIs make such structural gaps visible.