The role of medical group practice administrators in the adoption and implementation of Medicare's physician quality reporting system.
BACKGROUND
Although there are numerous studies of the factors influencing the adoption of quality assurance (QA) programs by medical group practices, few have focused on the role of group practice administrators.


OBJECTIVE
To gain insights into the role these administrators play in QA programs, we analyzed how medical practices adopted and implemented the Medicare Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the largest physician quality reporting system in the United States.


METHODS
We conducted focus group interviews in 2011 with a national convenience sample of 76 medical group practice administrators. Responses were organized and analyzed using the innovation decision framework of Van de Ven and colleagues.


RESULTS
Administrators conducted due diligence on PQRS, influenced how the issue was presented to physicians for adoption, and managed implementation thereafter. Administrators' recommendations were heavily influenced by practice characteristics, financial incentives, and practice commitments to early adoption of quality improvement innovations. Virtually, all who attempted it agreed that PQRS was straightforward to implement. However, the complexities of Medicare's PQRS reports impeded use of the data by administrators to support quality management.


CONCLUSIONS
Group practice administrators are playing a prominent role in activities related to the quality of patient care--they are not limited to the business side of the practice. Especially, as PQRS becomes more nearly universal after 2014, Medicare should take account of the role that administrators play, by more actively engaging administrators in shaping these programs and making it easier for administrators to use the results.


CONCLUSIONS
More research is needed on the rapidly evolving role of nonphysician administration in medical group practices. Practice administrators have a larger role than commonly understood in how quality reporting initiatives are adopted and used and are in an exceptional position to influence the more appropriate use of these resources if supported by more useful forms of quality reporting.
Robert Coulam, PhD, JD, is Professor of Practice in Health Policy and Management, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts. E-mail: coulam@simmons.edu. John Kralewski, PhD, is Senior Research Fellow, Medica Research Institute, Minnetonka, Minnesota, and Professor Emeritus University of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bryan Dowd, PhD, is Professor, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota. David Gans, MS, ACMPE, is Senior Fellow Industry Affairs, Medical Group Management Association, Englewood, Colorado.
Robert
R
Coulam
John
J
Kralewski
Bryan
B
Dowd
David
D
Gans
D000288:Administrative Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D006278:Medicare; D010816:Physician Incentive Plans; D058996:Quality Improvement; D014481:United States