To convene an expert panel to develop a quality data set (QDS) and identify healthcare workflow changes to enable automation of performance measures through electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchanges.
In 2007, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) commissioned the NQF to convene HITEP to address the ability of EHRs to create and aggregate data for quality measurement. HITEP recommended a high-priority set of quality measures; identified a set of required data types that were incorporated into the Healthcare IT Standards Panel (HITSP) Interoperability Specification for Quality; developed a framework for evaluating the quality of these data types; and, identified gaps and made recommendations to enable automated quality measurement. The American Health Information Community (AHIC) Quality Workgroup recommended further development of these data types into the QDS. In addition to improving quality measurement, the QDS will provide a base of core data needed to bridge clinical guidelines with Clinical Decision Support (CDS), the key effector arm for quality improvement using EHRs in clinical settings The AHIC Quality Workgroup further recommended an environmental scan of existing automated quality reporting initiatives to identify existing and preferred clinical workflow to generate data needed for performance measurement. The second HITEP will identify the clinical workflow maps and recommend the QDS to quality stakeholders including HITSP. NQF will also incorporate HITEP recommendations into the NQF measure endorsement process.
Under this project, NQF will expand on the efforts of the first HITEP to advance the automation of electronic health records (EHR) to collect, aggregate, and transmit quality measures. The panel and two workgroups will focus on recommendations for a standardized Quality Data Set (QDS) and enabling quality measurement through improved clinical workflows within and across care settings.
An Expert Panel of 12-18 individuals will represent the range of stakeholder perspectives. The Expert Panel will provide strategic direction for the overall effort, as well as oversight for the workgroups. Two workgroups of 5-8 individuals each will develop the QDS and clinical workflow maps, respectively. We are currently seeking Expert Panel and workgroup members with expertise/experience in quality measurement, performance measurement in EHRs and Health Information Exchanges (HIE), CDS, clinical data standards, and clinical workflows (see Current Activity “Call for Nominations” on the left panel).
Support for this project has been provided by AHRQ. For more information, please contact Daniel Rosenthal, MD MSc MPH at 202.783.1300 ex. 123 or via email at hitep2@qualityforum.org.