A public-private stakeholder group has submitted quality measure recommendations for long-term care to the federal government.
As required by the Affordable Care Act, the National Quality Forum convened the Measure Applications Partnership to develop a coordinated performance measurement approach. Their advice was then submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The resulting report, which concentrates heavily on the role of health information technology, focuses on improving care for people with complex health problems as they transition through care settings.
MAP recommends that the government:
• Identify core measure concepts;
• Emphasize the need for uniform data sources and health IT; and
• Define a pathway for improving measure applications through filling priority measure gaps, developing standardized care-planning tools and monitoring for unintended consequences.
According to MAP, special attention should be paid to pressure ulcers, adverse events, falls, infection rates, hospital readmissions and cognitive and mental status.
Patients cared for by such providers (primarily patients over the age of 65) often shift between sites of care — moving among their homes, hospitals, and PAC and LTC providers as their health and functional status changes.
These patients are particularly vulnerable and costly to the system, given their clinical complexity and the multiple transitions they endure.
A coordinated performance measurement approach across these providers — along with an enhanced capacity to use health information technology resources — is imperative to meet the needs of the patients who depend on these services, a new report from the MAP recommends.
The report also identifies “high leverage” areas for performance measurement and core measure concepts for PAC and LTC providers.
From the March 01, 2012 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
