With today’s comprehensive Meaningful Measures initiative, CMS has refocused healthcare quality measures on improving patient needs and experiences, reducing regulatory burden on clinicians, and removing barriers to value-based payment. The evolved quality measures center on patient, clinician, and health system needs and strategic goals to truly impact improving care and lowering costs.
Meaningful Measures, according to CMS, must meet seven criteria:
Are patient-centered and meaningful to patients, clinicians, and providers.
Address high-impact measure areas that safeguard public health.
Are outcome-based where possible.
Minimize the level of burden for providers.
Create significant opportunity for improvement.
Address measure needs for population-based payment through alternative payment models.
Align across programs.