Establish an Effective, Unified Measure Set

Increasingly, there has been a proliferation of quality measurement and reporting requirements placed upon health care providers and systems. The movement toward greater reporting and measurement is borne out of the idea that systematic measurement of performance is needed to gauge the quality of care provided, identify best practices for achieving desired outcomes, identify opportunities for improvement, and move the system from fee-for-service to value based payments and accountable systems of care[1].

In order to be effective, measures must be meaningful, providing valid and usable information that enables stakeholders to evaluate new models of care delivery; identify high quality health care providers; improve quality, value and patient outcomes; and redesign payment systems.[2]

Measures must also be aligned across health systems, payers, and regulatory bodies, as alignment reduces provider reporting burden and allows improvement efforts to be focused on the measures that matter. Aligned measurement also allows for comparisons to be made across organizations, care settings, payers, and communities; creates shared accountability across health systems and stakeholders; and helps focus resources and improvement efforts. A common measure set can also facilitate alignment of provider incentives through multi-payer payment reform efforts, accelerating quality improvement by making it easier for providers to change their care processes for all of their patients.[3]

However, reaching consensus on a common measure set is a difficult and time-consuming process that often requires competing or unconnected stakeholders to jointly agree to make fundamental changes to how they operate in pursuit of a common agenda. As community conveners, Alliances have the ability to facilitate alignment by ensuring all stakeholders have a seat at the table, building trust, managing conflict, and effectively brokering competing interests.