NQF Endorses Measure for Patient Safety 

The National Quality Forum (NQF) Board of Directors has recently endorsed a measure* focused on improving patient safety. The measure, intended to supplement more than 100 NQF-endorsed patient safety measures, addresses radiation dosing in computed tomography, targeting appropriate documentation and access of radiation doses to patients and providers.  This endorsement is part of a two-phase project focusing on healthcare-associated infections (expected to be completed in late 2011), radiation safety and other types of safety measures.  

Endorsed Measure

PSM-044-10: Radiation Dose of Computed Tomography (CT) (time-limited endorsement)

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the endorsed measure by notifying NQF in writing no later than September 13 (To access the appeals form, go to the Patient Safety Measures 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 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.  

*Note: one measure is still under consideration with the Board.