NQF's measures target pressure ulcers
The National Quality Forum (NQF) Board of Directors recently endorsed 12 patient safety measures with a focus on complications. The measures address pressure ulcers, falls, healthcare-associated infections and a range of quality concerns.
“These endorsed measures will have a significant impact on national patient safety efforts by helping providers measure, report on and ultimately improve the care they deliver,” said Helen Burstin, M.D., M.P.H., senior vice president for performance measures at NQF.
Pressure ulcers occurred in more than a quarter-million hospitalized Medicare patients in 2007. The average cost per case was more than $43,000, the board noted. It added that falls are the leading cause of injury-related death for those 65 and older. One estimate projects the cost of elderly patient falls at more than $30 billion by 2020.
Among the additional endorsed measures were: nurses' hours, the skill mix of healthcare workers, and MRSA and CDI outcome measures. Earlier 2012 measures included information on medication safety, surgical safety, care coordination, venous thromboembolism and medication documentation.
