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- WELCOME TO CMS EHEALTH.
QUALITY IN HEALTH CARE CAN MEAN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS,
FROM COORDINATING CARE, TO OUTCOMES, TO
PATIENT SATISFACTION.
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE IS A TOP PRIORITY
FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AND FOR US
HERE AT CMS.
AND WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO YOU, AS A HEALTH
CARE PROVIDER.
THAT'S WHY CMS CONTINUES TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT
QUALITY INITIATIVES.
CMS HAS QUALITY INITIATIVES THAT TOUCH EVERY ASPECT
OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
FOR EXAMPLE, CONSUMERS CAN NOW FIND PUBLIC REPORTING
ON THE QUALITY OF NURSING HOMES, HOSPITALS, HOME HEALTH
AGENCIES, AND KIDNEY DIALYSIS FACILITIES.
THE KEY TO OUR APPROACH IS USING QUALITY MEASURES.
QUALITY MEASURES GIVE EVERYONE A WAY TO EVALUATE HEALTH CARE,
BY USING RECOGNIZED STANDARDS AS A COMMON YARDSTICK.
IN THIS WAY, QUALITY MEASURES ARE TOOLS THAT CMS CAN USE TO
EVALUATE EVERYTHING FROM HEALTH CARE PROCESSES TO
OUTCOMES, PATIENT PERCEPTIONS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS.
IN THE END, QUALITY MEASURES ARE ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT ALL
PATIENTS GET THE RIGHT CARE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
QUALITY MEASUREMENT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF MANY CMS
INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THE PHYSICIAN QUALITY REPORTING
SYSTEM, THE HOSPITAL INPATIENT QUALITY REPORTING PROGRAM,
THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD, OR EHR, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS,
AND ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND TODAY, QUALITY MEASURES ARE UNDERGOING A REVOLUTION.
UP UNTIL NOW, MOST QUALITY MEASURES WERE BASED ON CHART
ABSTRACTION AND CAPTURED ON PAPER.
CLAIMS AND CLINICAL DATA HAD TO BE PULLED OUT OF PAPER
MEDICAL RECORDS.
THIS MADE EVALUATING PERFORMANCE, OR COMPARING
PATIENT OUTCOMES, A LABOR INTENSIVE PROCESS THAT WAS
BOTH INEFFICIENT AND COSTLY.
NOW THAT MEDICAL RECORDS ARE GOING ELECTRONIC, QUALITY
MEASURES CAN FOLLOW.
ELECTRONIC QUALITY MEASURES-- CALLED eMEASURES OR ECQMs,
WHICH IS SHORT FOR ELECTRONIC CLINICAL QUALITY MEASURES--
ARE STANDARDIZED PERFORMANCE MEASURES
IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT.
AS HEALTH I.T. CONTINUES TO PLAY A BIGGER ROLE IN HOW HEALTH
CARE IS DELIVERED, ECQMs WILL BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF CMS
QUALITY INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE.
THESE NEW ECQMs CAN HELP TO PROVIDE REAL MEANINGFUL DATA.
AND NOT ONLY IS THAT GOOD FOR AN INDIVIDUAL PROVIDER TO USE,
BUT IT ALSO HELPS US MAKE BIG POLICY DECISIONS AND SET NEW
BEST PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF PATIENTS
IN OUR SYSTEM.
CMS IS COMMITTED TO ASSURING QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR OUR
MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES AND FOR ALL AMERICANS.
WE BELIEVE THAT ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE ARE
POWERFUL TOOLS FOR MAKING THOSE CHOICES.
TO FIND OUT MORE GO TO THE EHEALTH WEBSITE AND LOOK
FOR QUALITY MEASUREMENT UNDER THE PROGRAMS TAB.