CMS releases new quality measures management tool
May 1, 2006
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the release of its Quality Measures Management Information System (QMIS) - an electronic database of the healthcare quality measures used by CMS in its broad quality improvement and public reporting efforts. (QMIS can be accessed from the Quality Improvement tab of QualityNet.)
As the repository of all CMS quality measures, QMIS allows users to search for a particular measure and view detailed information regarding the technical specifications, justification and history of the measure. In subsequent releases, QMIS will allow users to track the selection, development, implementation and maintenance of healthcare quality measures.
The new Web-based tool was created in conjunction with other CMS efforts to develop a more coherent, transparent system for measuring the quality of care provided to its beneficiaries. The new Measure Management System (MMS) was launched earlier this year to streamline and standardize management of the more than 250 healthcare quality measures currently utilized by CMS.
"With an ever-increasing number and variety of quality measures being used for quality improvement and public reporting purposes, our long-term goal is to ensure that the measures are scientifically sound, valid, reliable and useful in improving the quality of healthcare," said Jacquelyn Kosh-Suber, CMS Government Task Leader for the MMS.
CMS uses quality measures to assess performance of healthcare providers ranging from managed care plans to dialysis centers, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and physician offices. Future quality measurement activities are planned for prescription drug plans and other healthcare settings, Kosh-Suber said.
The recent release of QMIS allows users to review the 39 CMS healthcare quality measures used in the:
- Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) initiative
- Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update (RHQDAPU) initiative
- Physician Voluntary Reporting Project (PVRP)
Documentation for remaining CMS measures will be added to QMIS in the coming months, Kosh-Suber noted.