Indicators, like many other forms of measurement, can be used in three broad ways:
1. for understanding: to know how a system works and how it might be improved (research role)
2. for performance: monitoring if and how a system is performing to an agreed standard (performance/managerial/improvement role)
3. for accountability: allowing us to hold ourselves up to patients, the government and taxpayers and be openly scrutinised as individuals, teams and organisations (accountability/democratic role).