NQF Endorses Final Three Measures for Patient Outcomes 

Washington, DC - The appeals process is now open for the final three measures endorsed during the National Quality Forum’s (NQF) Patient Outcomes project. Two diabetes composite measures from National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Patient Outcomes, Second Report for Phases 1 and 2: A Consensus Report: Addendum and an inpatient acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality measure from National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Patient Outcomes, Second Report for Phases I and 2: A Consensus Report have been granted endorsement by NQF’s Board of Directors.

Endorsed measures:

• Optimal diabetes care (MN Community Measurement);
• Comprehensive diabetes care (National Committee for Quality Assurance); and
• Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) mortality rate (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality).

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the endorsement recommendations, in whole or in part, by notifying NQF in writing via its web-based form no later than April 27. (To access the appeals form, go to the Patient Outcomes Measures: Phases 1 and 2 page. Then go to the section on appeals and click on the link to the standards directory). For an appeal to be considered, the notification must include information clearly demonstrating that the appellant has interests that are directly and materially affected by the NQF-endorsed recommendations and that the NQF decision has had (or will have) an adverse effect on those interests.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) operates under a three-part mission to improve the quality of American healthcare by: 

• building consensus on national priorities and goals for performance improvement and working in partnership to achieve them; 
• endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and 
•  promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.