AHA News reports that the Joint Commission announced (11/15) plans to adopt the seven hospital outpatient quality measures included in the outpatient prospective payment system final rule for 2008. Joint Commission President Dennis O’Leary said the decision reflects the Commission’s “ongoing commitment to consolidate and minimize data collection efforts for accredited hospitals, and to remain aligned with CMS and Hospital Quality Alliance priorities.” The Joint Commission will require accredited hospitals to collect and submit data on at least four quality measure sets for discharges in 2008. Hospitals wishing to use the OPPS measures as one of the measure sets will be asked to confirm that selection by Jan. 1, but will not be required to initiate data collection until April 2008. Under the OPPS final rule for calendar year 2008, hospitals must begin reporting the seven measures to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in April 2008 to receive a full payment update in 2009.
Full Joint Commission news release: The Joint Commission Aligns Additional Hospital Outpatient Performance Measures to Complement of Measure Sets