To further develop its agenda on performance and quality standards in inpatient hospital care, SHM recently established a new Performance and Standards Task Force. This task force is charged with developing a coordinated approach for SHM to work with external organizations in the performance and standards and quality arena and comprises the chairs of the PPC and HQPS committees and other SHM leaders active in organizations like the JCAHO and the IHI.
P4P is here to stay. SHM is well positioned to influence the development and implementation of inpatient quality measures that may eventually become part of a Medicare P4P program for physician services. TH
Allendorf is senior advisor for Advocacy and Government Affairs at SHM. Epstein is senior advisor for Quality Standards and Compliance at SHM.