NQF Endorses Two Additional Pulmonary Measures 

Washington, DC - the National Quality Forum (NQF) Board of Directors has endorsed two additional measures focused on readmission rates for patients hospitalized with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia. The measures were originally evaluated as part of NQF’s pulmonary and critical care measure endorsement project, which had 19 measures endorsed in July 2012.

NQF is a voluntary consensus standards-setting organization. Any party may request reconsideration of the endorsed quality measures listed below by submitting an appeal no later than April 4 (to submit an appeal, go to the NQF Measure Database). For an appeal to be considered, the notification must include information clearly demonstrating that the appellant has interests 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.

Measures List 

• 0506: Hospital 30-day all-cause risk-standardized readmission rate (RSRR) following pneumonia hospitalization (CMS)
• 1891: Hospital 30-Day All-Cause Risk-Standardized Readmission Rate (RSRR) following Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Hospitalization (CMS)

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.