New quality report published - Short Takes: News at Deadline - Brief Article

Physician Executive, Sept-Oct, 2002 by James A. Hawkins

A new report from the National Quality Forum (NQF) that targets ways to improve health care quality is now available.

The report, "A National Framework for Health care Quality Measurement and Reporting," recognizes that the quality of U.S. health care is not as good as it could and should be. Improving health care quality requires a commitment to standardizing quality of care performance measures and reporting mechanisms, which is one of the primary missions of NQF in partnership with its almost 150 member organizations.

The report sets out a coherent comprehensive and strategic framework for improving health care quality through performance measurement and reporting, says Kenneth Kizer; MD, MPH, CPE, FACPE, president and CEO of the NQF.

"For the first time, a broad cross section of stakeholders in health care--consumers, providers, health plans, payers, purchasers and research and quality improvement organizations--reached consensus on a road, map to improve U.S. health care by standardizing the measurement and reporting of its quality."

The report presents:

* Four principles for systematic identification and standardization of health care quality standards.

* Five strategic areas to support and sustain improvement.

* Eight policy statements and recommendations to accelerate or optimize quality improvement.

Kizer adds, "The report is a milestone and many challenges lay ahead, but reaching consensus on this framework brings focus to the vision of achieving widespread improved health care for all Americans." Information on ordering the report is available at www.qualityforum.org.