NQF endorses 70 IT-based quality measures
The National Quality Forum (NQF) recently endorsed 70 measures that combine data from two or more common electronic sources such as administrative claims, pharmacy systems, laboratory systems and registries to advance use of electronic data for quality improvement.
The Washington, D.C.-based NQF’s steering committee, co-chaired by Michael O’Toole, MD, cardiologist and CIO at Midwest Heart Specialists in Illinois, and Charles Cutler, MD, internist and former national medical director at Hartford, Conn.-based health company Aetna, reviewed more than 200 measures.
The association identified three levels of measures based on data source and complexity of methodology:
A goal of the project was to harmonize physician-level performance measures used by different health plans, according to the nonprofit. The measures cover 16 conditions including bone and joint conditions, cardiovascular disease, asthma and respiratory illness and diabetes.
There were no level one measures that satisfied NQF endorsement criteria. Fifty-five measures of the 70 endorsed by NQF were level two measurements and 15 were level three measurements. The steering committee acknowledged that use of the more complex level three measures will be limited right now, but will likely become widespread as more and more ambulatory practices invest in EHRs and as participation in clinical registries becomes more prevalent.
Aetna Foundation, United Health Foundation, WellPoint and Cigna made financial contributions in support of this project.
The Washington, D.C.-based NQF’s steering committee, co-chaired by Michael O’Toole, MD, cardiologist and CIO at Midwest Heart Specialists in Illinois, and Charles Cutler, MD, internist and former national medical director at Hartford, Conn.-based health company Aetna, reviewed more than 200 measures.
The association identified three levels of measures based on data source and complexity of methodology:
- Level one measures collect data from a single, electronic administrative data source, such as encounter or pharmacy claims.
- Level two measures rely on merged data from multiple administrative data sources, such as laboratory, pharmacy, imaging or other claims data.
- Level three measures are constructed from common electronic administrative data sources enriched with clinical data, such as laboratory results or blood-pressure values.
A goal of the project was to harmonize physician-level performance measures used by different health plans, according to the nonprofit. The measures cover 16 conditions including bone and joint conditions, cardiovascular disease, asthma and respiratory illness and diabetes.
There were no level one measures that satisfied NQF endorsement criteria. Fifty-five measures of the 70 endorsed by NQF were level two measurements and 15 were level three measurements. The steering committee acknowledged that use of the more complex level three measures will be limited right now, but will likely become widespread as more and more ambulatory practices invest in EHRs and as participation in clinical registries becomes more prevalent.
Aetna Foundation, United Health Foundation, WellPoint and Cigna made financial contributions in support of this project.