What is the Difference Between a Percentage and a Rate?

Often we hear the question, "What is the difference between a percentage and a rate?"

They are both calculated using a numer

ator and a denominator. However, the relationship between the numerator and denominator makes the difference.

Percentag

es

Indicators which use percentage are the most commonly used indicator type in healthcare. Most of the Joint Commission measu

res monitor percentages to measure compliance. A percentage measures the number of a certain set of events which have a particu

lar outcome when there are two outcomes possible, either Yes or No. For example, either the AMI patient received aspirin on arriv

al or they did not. For each of these outcomes (received aspirin or did not receive aspirin), there can never be more than 100 perc

ent. We cannot see a situation where 110% of the patients admitted received aspirin on arrival.

Guidelines for Percentages

:

E

P

R

A

If

W

G

E

W

T

T

L

T

A

If

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