Will performance measurement lead to better patient outcomes? What are the roles of the National Quality Forum and Medical Specialty Societies?
Performance measures (PMs) are specified metrics by which a health-care provider's care can be compared with national benchmarks. The use of PMs is a key component of efforts to improve the quality and value of health care. The National Quality Forum (NQF) is the federally recognized endorser of PMs. From 2006 to 2009, the Quality Improvement Committee (QIC) of the American College of Chest Physicians engaged in the review of proposed PMs as a member of the NQF. This article provides a review of the QIC's experience with PMs and NQF membership and the lessons learned, an overview of the enhancements made to the NQF endorsement process in 2010 and 2011, and a discussion of the next steps that would further strengthen the measure development and endorsement processes and increase the likelihood of measurement leading to better patient outcomes.
Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Center for Critical Care, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH. Electronic address: James.OBrien@osumc.edu.
James M
JM
O'Brien
National Quality Forum, Washington, DC.
Janet
J
Corrigan
Healthcare Practice, Informatics, and Research, American College of Chest Physicians, Northbrook, IL.
Joyce Bruno
JB
Reitzner
Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.
Lisa K
LK
Moores
Center for Bronchiectasis Care, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT.
Mark
M
Metersky
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Robert C
RC
Hyzy
Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Health Care, Jackson, MS.
Michael H
MH
Baumann
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA.
John
J
Tooker
Board of Directors, Huntington Hospital, Huntington, NY; Physicians Consortium for Performance Improvement, Huntington, NY.
Bernard M
BM
Rosof
National Quality Forum, Washington, DC.
Helen
H
Burstin
National Quality Forum, Washington, DC.
Karen
K
Pace
D019985:Benchmarking; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006285:Health Planning; D006801:Humans; D008511:Medicine; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States