For the Love of Quality
Authors: Kavita K. Patel
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2020)

Editorials17 November 2020For the Love of QualityKavita K. Patel, MD, MSKavita K. Patel, MD, MSBrookings Institution, Washington, DC (K.K.P.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M20-6095 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Quality measurement has become ubiquitous in an effort to push health care toward better outcomes; lower cost; improved clinician experience; and, most important, improved patient experience. Regulators and payers alike have incorporated quality measurement into all health insurance plans and value-based payment models. Accountable care organizations, employer-based health reforms to stabilize unsustainable costs, and recent legislation (the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015) bring measurement to the forefront, often tied to performance-based financial incentives. But as quality measures proliferate and we deepen our understanding of their role in learning health care systems, quality measurement simultaneously overwhelms us. Clinicians, ...References1. Casalino LP, Gans D, Weber R, et al. US physician practices spend more than $15.4 billion annually to report quality measures. Health Aff (Millwood). 2016;35:401-6. [PMID: 26953292] doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1258 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Agniel D, Haviland A, Shekelle P, et al. Distinguishing high-performing health systems using a composite of publicly reported measures of ambulatory care. Ann Intern Med. 2020;173:791-8. doi:10.7326/M20-0718 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Gale AH. Bigger but not better: hospital mergers increase costs and do not improve quality [Editorial]. Mo Med. 2015;112:4-5. [PMID: 25812261] MedlineGoogle Scholar4. Shen AK, Sobczyk EA. Unraveling a composite measure to drive immunization uptake in adults: a critical compromise. Health Affairs Blog. 20 August 2020. Accessed at www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20200817.901186/full on 18 August 2020. Google Scholar5. Donabedian A. Evaluating the quality of medical care. Milbank Mem Fund Q. 1966;44 Suppl 166-206. [PMID: 5338568] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Brookings Institution, Washington, DC (K.K.P.)Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-6095.Corresponding Author: Kavita K. Patel, MD, MS, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036; e-mail, [email protected]edu.This article was published at Annals.org on 22 September 2020. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDistinguishing High-Performing Health Systems Using a Composite of Publicly Reported Measures of Ambulatory Care Denis Agniel , Amelia Haviland , Paul Shekelle , Adam Scherling , and Cheryl L. Damberg Metrics 17 November 2020Volume 173, Issue 10Page: 842-843KeywordsDisclosureHealth careHealth care qualityLegislationMedicareMotivationPatientsQuality improvementSafetyTelemedicine ePublished: 22 September 2020 Issue Published: 17 November 2020 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2020 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...