The new MAP reports follow recommendations shared with HHS earlier this year related to approximately 200 performance measures under consideration for use in 20 federal healthcare programs, as well as recommendations regarding issues to consider when selecting performance measures for both hospitals and post-acute care/long-term care (PAC/LTC) settings.

MAP’s Considerations for Implementing Measures in Federal Programs – Clinicians report explores in greater detail issues raised in its earlier report that made pre-rulemaking recommendations to HHS for measures under consideration for the Physician Quality Reporting System, Physician Feedback Program, Physician Compare, Value Based Payment Modifier, and Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs for Eligible Professionals (Meaningful Use).

MAP found that while more high-value measures (such as outcome and composite measures) were included in the current measures under consideration, there were important gaps in measures for multiple chronic conditions, measures for palliative/end-of-life care, and electronic health record (EHR) measures that promote interoperability and health information exchange, among other areas.

MAP noted that greater focus on composite measures, appropriate use measures, and outcome measures could reduce measurement burden for healthcare professionals and suggested that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) consider innovative incentives to encourage more meaningful measurement.

MAP’s Cross-Cutting Challenges Facing Measurement report is a synthesis of broader issues MAP identified when deliberating on specific measures during the pre-rulemaking process. The report noted that improvements are needed to move toward “measures that matter” in health programs, such as measures of health outcomes, composite measures, care coordination, cost and resource use, and patient safety.