NQF Endorses Measures for Imaging Efficiency 

The National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed six measures focusing on appropriate and efficient use of imaging procedures in the outpatient and emergency department settings. The endorsed measures address the appropriate use of imaging to avoid redundancy that can result in unnecessary exposure to radiation, reduce the need for painful and wasteful follow-up procedures, and minimize cost and waste of healthcare services.

Endorsed Measures 

• 0667: Pulmonary CT Imaging for Patients at Low Risk for Pulmonary Embolism
• 0668: Appropriate Head CT Imaging in Adults with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
• 0669: Cardiac Imaging for Preoperative Risk Assessment for Non-Cardiac Low-Risk Surgery
• 0670: Cardiac stress imaging not meeting appropriate use criteria: Preoperative evaluation in low risk surgery patients
• 0671: Cardiac stress imaging not meeting appropriate use criteria: Routine testing after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
• 0672: Cardiac stress imaging not meeting appropriate use criteria: Testing in asymptomatic, low risk patients 

NQF will release a report addendum for measure “IEP‐008‐10 Appropriate Cervical Spine CT Imaging in Trauma” later this spring. This particular measure was delayed in the process consequent to the Committee’s request that it be harmonized with an existing measure (NQF#0512 “Percentage of patients who do not have neck pain, distracting pain, neurological deficits, reduced level of consciousness, or intoxication). Currently, the measure is recommended for endorsement and is awaiting ratification from the NQF Board of Directors, which will be followed by an appeals period.

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the six endorsed recommendations (excluding IEP-008), in whole or in part, by notifying NQF in writing no later than May 18. (To access the appeals form, go to the Imaging Efficiency 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.