CMS quality report reveals care improvements

The 2015 National Impact Assessment of Quality Measures Report found that 95 percent of 119 publicly reported performance rates across seven quality reporting programs showed improvement during the study period with 35 percent of the measures classified as high performing.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the report which examines the effectiveness and impact of measurement and "demonstrates our commitment to achieving optimal results from our quality measurement programs," wrote Patrick Conway, MD, CMS deputy administrator for innovation and quality and chief medical officer.

The report includes research on 25 CMS quality programs and hundreds of quality measures from 2006 to 2013. 

For example, race and ethnicity disparities present in 2006 were less evident in 2012. Measure rates for Hispanics, Blacks and Asians showed the most improvement, and American Indian/Native Alaskans and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders the least improvement.

Provider performance on CMS measures related to heart and surgical care saved lives and averted infections. From 2006 to 2012, 7,000 to 10,000 lives were saved through improved performance on inpatient hospital heart failure process measures, and 4,000 to 7,000 infections were averted through improved performance on inpatient hospital surgical process measures.

CMS quality measures reach a large majority of the top 20 high-impact Medicare conditions experienced by beneficiaries, with more measures directed at the six measure domains related to the NQS priorities, and better balance among those domains, according to Conway's post. "Much of our data resulted from process measures; however, there is an increase in measures related to patient outcomes, patient experience of care, and cost and efficiency. CMS is moving increasingly toward these outcome measures across programs."

CMS plans to use the results from this report to refine its quality measurement strategies, better understand the measures that have worked well, and guide the development and application of measures going forward.  The report reveals new themes and actions to consider, Conway wrote.

"We hope providers, private payers and patient communities will use this report to understand which measures have worked well and which have had less of an impact on quality. Everyone receiving healthcare in our nation can benefit from CMS progress on quality measurement and the programs associated with these measures. We strive to achieve better care for our patients and families, better health in our communities, and smarter spending through quality improvement."

Access the complete report.