The CMS Quality Measure Development Plan (MDP) focuses on and recommends ways to close measurement gaps that CMS has identified in quality measure sets currently used for the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Value-Based Payment Modifier (VPM), and the Meaningful Use programs. As a part of this plan, CMS will review the gap analyses conducted by the NQF-convened Measure Applications Partnership (MAP).

According to the draft plan, future measure development will prioritize person- and caregiver-centered experience of care, patient-reported outcomes and patient health outcomes, communication and care coordination, and appropriate use of resources. Measure development will focus on six quality domains: clinical care, safety, care coordination, patient and caregiver experience, population health and prevention, and efficiency and cost reduction.

CMS is soliciting public comments on the draft MDP through March 1, 2016, and is expected to post the final MDP to the CMS.gov website by May 1, 2016, followed by updates at least annually.

As the plan describes, CMS will have an annual call for measures and will use the rulemaking process to finalize an initial set of measures for MIPS. The agency intends to leverage the MAP and work collaboratively with the public and private sectors to reduce provider burden through streamlined reporting and an aligned set of measures.

CMS suggests approaches to address challenges that may arise in implementing the MDP, including reducing provider burden, engaging patients in the measure development process, and shortening the period for measure development. These approaches include prioritizing development of measures based on data from EHRs, promoting the adoption of process improvements to reduce waste throughout the measure development process, and using crowdsourcing and other outreach to engage broader feedback from stakeholders in the measure development process.