What’s up with Voluntary Reporting?

16 Clinical Measures

CMS settled on the following 16 clinical measures for the test phase of their Physician Voluntary Reporting Program.

1. Aspirin at time of arrival for acute myocardial infarction;
2. Beta blocker at time of arrival for acute myocardial infarction;
3. Hemoglobin A1c control in patients with Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus;
4. Low-density lipoprotein control in patient with Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus;
5. High blood pressure control in patient with Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus;
6. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin-receptor blocker therapy for left ventricular systolic dysfunction;
7. Beta-blocker therapy for a patient with prior myocardial infarction;
8. Assessment of elderly patients for falls;
9. Dialysis dose in end-stage renal disease patient;
10. Hematocrit level in end-stage renal disease patient;
11. Receipt of autogenous arteriovenous fistula in end-stage renal disease patient requiring hemodialysis;
12. Antidepressant medication during acute phase for patient diagnosed with new episode of major depression;
13. Antibiotic prophylaxis in surgical patient;
14. Thromboembolism prophylaxis in surgical patient;
15. Use of internal mammary artery in coronary artery bypass graft surgery; and
16. Pre-operative beta blocker for patient with isolated coronary artery bypass graft.

Gainsharing Trial Gets Green Light

In February Congress approved the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, part of which requires that the Department of Health and Human Services set up a gainsharing demonstration project that will test and evaluate methods between hospitals and physicians to improve quality and efficiency of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. (“Gainsharing” typically refers to an arrangement in which a hospital gives physicians a cash reward that is tied to any reduction in the hospital’s costs attributable in part to the physicians’ efforts.) Hospitalists may want to collaborate with their hospitals in submitting a proposal to CMS for one of the gainsharing demonstration projects.

Pilot Program to Combine Public, Private Measures

The Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance (AQA) will launch a pilot project that will combine public and private information on physician practice. Six sites have been chosen for the project, with the goal of reporting on physician practices in a meaningful and transparent way for healthcare consumers.

The AQA pilot will not only measure quality of care, but will identify “high quality providers” who can deliver efficient care to patients.

Washington State Heads for Malpractice Reform

In March Washington state lawmakers passed a compromise medical-malpractice reform bill that will require hospitals to report serious medical errors to state regulators. The bill passed the House 82-15 and was unanimously approved by the Senate; Governor Christine Gregoire helped negotiate the bill and has publicly stated that she will sign it into law. The bill would set up a system of voluntary arbitration for malpractice cases, with maximum awards set at $1 million. It would also give the state insurance commissioner authority to approve malpractice insurance rate increases and collect information about closed malpractice claims.—JJ