Healthcare professionals work hard to deliver skilled, thoughtful care. But no one person can see across the complexity of the healthcare enterprise to make sure the end result adds up to the best patient care. Measures light the way, showing where systems are breaking down and where they are succeeding to help patients get and stay well.
Why Measure?
Measures drive improvement. Teams of healthcare providers who review their performance measures are able to make adjustments in care, share successes, and probe for causes when progress comes up short — all on the road to improved patient outcomes.
Measures inform consumers. As a growing number of measures are publicly reported, consumers are better able to assess quality for themselves, and then use the results to make choices, ask questions, and advocate for good healthcare. Some providers now post performance measures on their websites, and consumers can consult national sources such as HospitalCompare.gov and NursingHomeCompare.gov.
Measures influence payment. Increasingly, private and public payers use measures as preconditions for payment and targets for bonuses, whether it is paying providers for performance or instituting nonpayment for complications associated with NQF’s list of “Serious Reportable Events.”
“Measurement matters. When clinicians see their numbers, they act to improve them, using their professional pride and competitiveness to find solutions.” - Randall D. Cebul, MD , Director, Better Health Greater Cleveland
Learn how we choose what to measure.
