National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Hospital Care: Outcomes and Efficiency
Final Report: Coming soon - National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Hospital Care: Outcomes and Efficiency
The Opportunity
As we move toward a broader view of hospital-based care, there is a need for measures that specifically address the outcomes and efficiency of care. Because measures of hospital readmission are the most urgently needed, the first task, accomplished in a relatively short period in Phase I, focused only on recommending hospital readmission measures. Phase II more broadly reviewed potential measures of hospital outcomes including quality of the hospital transition, improvement in health-related quality of life and functional status, palliative care symptom control, surgical outcomes, and efficiency.
Statistics
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reported that in 2005, 17.6 percent of hospitalizations resulted in readmission within 30 days at a cost of $12 billion, and risk-adjusted rates varied across hospitals (e.g., 17 percent had rates more than two percentage points above expected)1.
About the Project
This project was initiated in May 2008.
Results
This project identified two measures that specifically address the outcomes and efficiency of hospital care.
Process
Candidate measures were considered for NQF endorsement as national voluntary consensus standards. Agreement was developed through NQF’s Consensus Development Process (CDP, version 1.8). This project involved the active participation of representatives from across the spectrum of healthcare stakeholders and was guided by a steering committee.
Funding
This work was conducted under a contract from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Related NQF WorkHospital Care: Outcomes and Efficiency, Phase II
Contact InformationKaren Pace at 202-783-1300 or hospitaloutcomes@qualityforum.org.
Notes
1. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Report to the Congress: Promoting Greater Efficiency in Medicare. Washington, DC: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC); 2007. National Quality Forum.
This NQF project endorsed two measures suitable for both public accountability and quality improvement related to outcomes and efficiency of hospital care. Phase I examined solely hospital readmission measures; Phase II more broadly reviewed potential measures of hospital outcomes including, for example, quality of the hospital transition, improvement in health-related quality of life and functional status, palliative care symptom control, surgical outcomes, and efficiency.
The project Steering Committee, representing the full range of stakeholder perspectives, was formed following the process set forth in NQF’s Consensus Development Process. Nominations were accepted from May 8 through June 9.
Steering Committee Roster
The Steering Committee met in person on July 16, 2008. They reviewed all submissions and communicated with measure developers as needed to determine the measures to recommend for endorsement. Following this review period, two recommended measures were made available for public and member comment.
The NQF Board voted via conference call on October 28, 2008 to approve the recommended measures.
Final endorsed measures
