title: Measuring a veteran's quality of healthcare managed by a nurse practitioner in a VA facility using professional practice evaluation and core performance measures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quality of care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs) has been measured for the last 40 years; however, no known program measuring quality of care in an NP practice on an ongoing basis was found in the published literature. The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation of an ongoing professional practice evaluation (OPPE) program at a Veterans Health Administration facility.
  
  
  METHODS
  An evidence-based review was conducted to assess, evaluate, and report findings from outcomes research, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, and interventions regarding standards and oversight of NP practice in the following databases: PubMed, Google®, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Institute of Medicine, and ".gov" websites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NPs have established a reputation in the delivery of efficient, accessible, effective, and high-quality care. Researchers suggest episodic measurement of care. For NPs, an OPPE program provides oversight of quality of care, surveillance, education, and feedback while evaluating and validating an NP's quality of care on an ongoing basis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The OPPE program provides a prototype for measuring and improving NP practice nationally. In providing validation and transparency, it reassures administrators and the public that NP practice meets strenuous national standards.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Review Board, Veterans Affairs, Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Shelly
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Peralta
authors.affiliation: Research/Education, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: College of Graduate Nursing, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Emanuele
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000592:standards*; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000592:standards; D014728:Veterans
keywords: HEDIS performance measures; Nurse practitioner; performance measures; practice evaluation; quality of care; veterans’ health care