WASHINGTON, May 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance of Specialty Medicine, which has called for a voluntary Medicare quality reporting system to have an effective phase-in period, lauds the introduction of The Voluntary Medicare Quality Reporting Act of 2007, S. 1519.
Introduced last night by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), the Act would amend a provision of the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, which requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop, through the rule-making process, a new quality reporting system by 2008 -- even before the 6-month trial Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) concludes.
"Last year's Act, establishing the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, has a number of shortcomings," said Dr. Priscilla Arnold of the Alliance, which represents 11 medical specialty organizations and over 200,000 physicians. "It does not provide sufficient time to evaluate the trial 6- month PQRI before moving forward. Nor does it establish a clearly defined process for developing and endorsing quality measures, making certain the measures are developed through the AMA's Physician Consortium by the medical specialties" she said, adding, "We commend Senators Cardin and Specter for their proposal to address these concerns."
The Voluntary Medicare Quality Reporting Act of 2007 would establish a more realistic timeline for quality measure reporting by physicians, so that by January 1, 2010, the federal government could implement what Dr. Arnold, an ophthalmologist, calls "a voluntary reporting program based on a consistent set of rules, developed through a transparent process, that define evidence- based quality measures." Medical experts would be an important part of that process.
The phase-in would have four components: -- The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) would be required to evaluate the 6-month trial program and report those findings to Congress by June 1, 2008; -- A uniform process would be established to identify medical conditions for which quality measures are developed, endorsed and implemented; -- Demonstration projects would help establish mechanisms for physicians to report data through an appropriate medical registry; and -- Physicians could continue reporting on measures developed in the 2007 trial program, so reporting systems could be refined by the Secretary.
The Act would also establish what physicians have long recommended -- the involvement of medical organizations in establishing quality measures. The American Medical Association's Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement would be the focal point for designating clinical areas needing quality measures. In collaboration with medical specialty organizations and others, the Consortium would develop quality measures, which would then be forwarded to a consensus organization, such as the National Quality Forum, for endorsement.
The DHHS Secretary would be prohibited from using any measures not developed through this process.
"For a reporting system to be meaningful, quality measures must be evidence-based and developed with the medical specialty societies who have expertise in the area of care in question," noted Dr. Arnold. "Measures should conform to clinical guidelines developed by the various physician specialties."
Measures must also be kept current, advised Dr. Arnold. "Medicine is an ever-evolving science and quality measures must reflect changes in clinical practice. Updating performance measures requires a rigorous process," she said.
The Alliance of Specialty Medicine, based in Washington, DC, is dedicated to the development of sound federal health care policy that fosters patient access to the highest quality specialty care. Among the Alliance's top policy priorities are reforming the Medicare program to ensure the greatest access to care for seniors, advancing reforms of the nation's medical liability system, and ensuring patients have access to the highest quality health care, in part by ensuring that effective patient safety measures are in place.
Alliance of Specialty Medicine
CONTACT: Nancey McCann, +1-703-591-2220, nmccann@ASCRS.org , Kathy Pontzer, +1-202-546-4430, pontzer@aaos.org , both of the Alliance of Specialty Medicine
