Composite Measure Evaluation Framework and National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Mortality and Safety—Composite Measures 

As the nation moves forward to improve its healthcare systems, performance measurement is fundamental to understanding healthcare’s current state and is critical to developing solutions for improvement. The criteria used to evaluate performance measures by the National Quality Forum (NQF) are an important part of the process used to ensure that NQF-endorsed® measures remain the gold standard for measuring healthcare quality. This document provides the background, rationale, and evaluation criteria for composite measures. The composite evaluation framework that is presented includes a set of criteria that were adapted from and that build on the proven NQF performance measure evaluation criteria. The intent is to provide guidance for NQF committees, Members, and measure developers and to make transparent how composite measures will be evaluated in the NQF process. It also endorses, for public reporting, three composite measures that were assessed using the evaluation criteria: Mortality for Selected Conditions, Pediatric Patient Safety for Selected Indicators, and Patient Safety for Selected Indicators.