Special Studies—Current
Measures Management Systems Special Project
HSAG and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed the CMS Measures Management System, a set of standardized business practices and decision criteria to guide CMS in the development, implementation, and maintenance of high-caliber health care quality measures. The Measures Management System is documented in a series of procedures collectively referred to as the "Blueprint" and was designed based on the quality measurement work at CMS, augmented by the best practices of other major measure developers who develop and maintain measures. The Measures Management System is a transparent process that ensures that the CMS measures are based on the most current scientific evidence.
The implementation of the Blueprint began in October 2005. Based on user feedback and the evolution of quality measurement methodology, Version 6.2 of the Blueprint was released in the spring of 2009 and is available at
https://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/QIMS/mmsBlueprint.asp.
Hospital Outpatient Quality Data Reporting Program (HOP QDRP) CMS Special Study (Support Contractor)
HSAG was selected by FMQAI, the Florida Medicare quality improvement organization (QIO), to serve as the HOP QDRP subcontractor. HSAG has been involved in the HOP QDRP since the inception of the program, which began in September 2007. The HOP QDRP was established in response to the Medicare Improvements and Extension Act under Division B of Title I of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act (MIEA-TRHCA) of 2006. The MIEA-TRHCA resulted in changes to the outpatient prospective payment system and required CMS to establish a quality data reporting program for hospitals to submit standardized measures for the assessment of hospital outpatient care. Hospitals that fail to report receive a two percent reduction of their annual payment rate update (APU). The first reporting period began with April 1, 2008 patient encounter dates.
Quality Improvement in Arizona CAHs
Health Services Advisory Group, Inc. (HSAG), in collaboration with The Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) Program, Rural Health Office, The University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, is conducting a one-year multi-method quality improvement project for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Arizona. The project is based on needs identified by hospital staff and leadership of participating hospitals. The primary objective of the project is to build the CAHs' quality improvement capabilities by providing participants with knowledge, skills, and tools they can use for designing, implementing, and "hardwiring"/maintaining system-level improvements.
The project design includes a series of interactive learning sessions that are enhanced with pre-session assignments and homework. Other complementary project methods include engaging CEOs through targeted communications, conducting individual follow-up phone consultations to provide technical assistance, and holding interactive group WebEx sessions to share barriers and lessons learned.
Venous thromboembolism (VTE)—Translating VTE Guidelines Into Practice
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has been identified as one of the most preventable causes of hospital-patient death. While evidence-based consensus guidelines for identifying hospital patients at risk for VTE have been available for over a decade, hospital medical patients are still not routinely screened for VTE risk or provided with appropriate prophylaxis to prevent VTE.
To view HSAG's past special studies, click
here.
To view HSAG's High Performers special study, click
here.
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