The National Quality Forum (NQF) seeks nominations for participants in the second Health Information Technology Expert Panel (HITEP) and two associated workgroups. 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.
BACKGROUND: 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 to 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.
EXPERT PANEL AND WORKGROUPS: 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 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.
TIME COMMITMENT: Nominees must be available to attend two 1.5-day in-person meetings in Washington, DC in January and May, 2009. Two to three conference calls will be scheduled during the course of the project between these two in-person meetings.
CONSIDERATION AND SUBSTITUTION: Priority will be given to nominations of NQF Members. Please note that nominations are for an individual, not an organization, so “substitutions” of other individuals from an organization are not permitted. Members of the first HITEP are welcome to apply, though participation in the first iteration of HITEP is not required for consideration in this second Expert Panel or workgroups.
MATERIAL TO SUBMIT: Self-nominations are welcome. Third-party nominations must indicate that the individual has been contacted and is willing to serve. To be considered for appointment to the Expert Panel and/or workgroups, please send the following information:
Materials should be submitted via email attachment with a hard copy sent via fax/U.S. mail, return receipt/overnight/hand delivery.
National Quality Forum
ATTN: HITEP-2
601 Thirteenth St, NW
Suite 500 North
Washington, DC 20005
FAX: 202.783.3434
EMAIL: hitep2@qualityforum.org
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: All nominations MUST be submitted by Friday, November 21, 6 pm, ET.
If you have any questions, please contact, Daniel Rosenthal, MD, MSc, MPH at 202.783.1300 ex. 123 or hitep2@qualityforum.org. Thank you for your assistance!