An indicator of the quality of medical care used to assess the activities of health manpower and programs in the management of patients. Process measures document the process of care used for various populations or diagnoses; for example, the fraction of people with hypertension who receive an intravenous pyelogram or the percentage of cases of strep throat which are cultured before treatment. They do not necessarily measure the results of care although they measure the use of diagnostic and treatment methods which are thought or proven to be effective. Generally, such measures indicate the degree of conformity with standards established by peer groups or with expectations formulated by leaders in the profession.