Healthcare Quality

The purpose of this assignment is to select a quality measure from the sample of quality measures identified in the environment scan assignment and then provide the measure details by populating the measure development template provided for the class. Measure development is an extensive and iterative process involving many stakeholders. The intention of this assignment is to simulate that process on a small scale by gleaning information from existing information. Most of the information can be found from one or more measure inventories and clearinghouses publicly available on-line (refer to scan resources in Assignment 1). Your measure can be structure, process, outcomes or any other type that speaks to the measurement of healthcare quality. The measure should represent a relevant domain area such as patient safety, efficiency, effectiveness, patient centered, etc.

For this assignment, identify a healthcare quality measure by selecting an already existing healthcare quality measure that may or may not be National Quality Forum (NQF) endorsed from your environmental scan results in Assignment 1. Alternatively, you can propose a completely new (de novo) measure.
For the identified measure, populate the Quality Measure Specification Template provided in the Assignment section of the Blackboard. For items in the Template requiring description, please use your own words to describe them (e.g., measure description, denominator and numerator statements, stratification to detect disparities in care/outcomes). Please note that depending on what measure you select for the assignment, you will need to refer to several resources for populating all the items in the template. Some items require providing your own description of how you will perform a certain step in the measure development process.
Propose measure adaptation by describing how you will revise the selected measure by applying meaningful and justified modification to the measure to demonstrate that you understand the key steps in a measure development process.
Propose changes to your selected measure by doing two or more of the following: 1) change the numerator, 2) change the denominator, 3) change the specifications, 4) change or revising the measure to meet the needs of a different care setting, 5) change the data source, 6) change the population, 7) add new specifications to fit the new use, and 8) intended user of adapted measure. For your proposed changes, provide citations where appropriate. For details on guidance on when and how to adapt/revise an existing measure review the relevant sections in the CMS Blueprint document. See section 3 (Adapted or Respecified Measures–chapter 18.1 pp 160-161).
Describe briefly the steps you will need to complete to submit the newly adapted measure for NQF endorsement. Provide your answer in Section 6 of the Quality Measure Development Template.
Note: In order to complete this assignment on time make sure you start the process with ample time in your hand. Please do not wait till the last minute to start working on this assignment.

Reference:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (May 2017). A Blueprint for the CMS Measures Management System.