National Quality Forum (NQF) Hosts Inaugural Stakeholder Advisory Councils 

Washington, DC – The National Quality Forum (NQF) this week kicked-off its new member-exclusive Stakeholder Advisory Councils to identify and discuss priority topics shared by specific healthcare segments. Each Council is comprised of individuals from NQF member organizations who come from similar industry roles and bring a range of perspectives on healthcare quality. In this inaugural year, NQF is hosting four Councils representing Consumers; Healthcare Professionals; Healthcare Provider Organizations; and Research, Development, and Solutions. Annually, each Council will identify a high-priority topic for action that addresses a pressing challenge for the stakeholders they represent and that supports the ongoing implementation of NQF’s Strategic Plan. 

The Councils serve as a catalyst for improved use of quality measures to achieve better, safer, more equitable, more affordable care. They bring together subject matter experts and afford them a unique platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and gaining insights into stakeholder-specific experiences. Through the Councils, individual groups of stakeholders will work to elevate tough healthcare quality challenges and define an agenda for tackling critical pain points and problems in healthcare. The Councils also provide an opportunity for NQF Members to connect about shared challenges and to learn from one another. 

“Since its inception, NQF’s work has relied on convening the diverse perspectives and expertise of stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem to address some of healthcare’s most challenging and even contentious issues,” said Dana Gelb Safran, ScD, President & CEO, NQF. “These stakeholder-specific Councils afford an added dimension to this work—enabling peers from each stakeholder segment to work together, learn from one another and forge solutions to shared pain points related to quality measurement. We can then bring these deeper perspectives and learnings back to our multistakeholder convenings, allowing the consensus process to benefit from the depth of ideas and solutions, and to build on the shared commitment to better, safer, more affordable, and equitable care.” 

The four Councils and the stakeholders they represent are:  

• Consumers: Patients, Caregivers, and Patient Advocates 
• Healthcare Professionals: Specialty Societies, and Professional Associations 
• Healthcare Provider Organizations: e.g., Hospitals, Health Systems, Accountable Care Organizations, Home Health Agencies, and Community Health Centers 
• Research, Development, and Solutions: Life Sciences and Biotechnology Companies, Suppliers, Manufacturers, Solutions and IT Companies, and Clinical Researchers 

Each Council is made up of 10–15 individuals from NQF member organizations, selected via a nominations process open to all NQF Members. Council members serve for one-year terms, and each Council has a designated chairperson and vice-chairperson. Councils will meet routinely as determined by the chairs and its members and will also have opportunities to share insights and perspectives across Councils. 

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About National Quality Forum 

The National Quality Forum (NQF) is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan, membership-based organization that works to improve healthcare outcomes, safety, equity, and affordability. Our unique role is to bring all voices to our table to forge multistakeholder consensus on quality measurement and improvement standards and practices that achieve measurable health improvements for all. NQF is a proud affiliate of The Joint Commission. Learn more at www.qualityforum.org.