The purpose of these NQF-endorsed measures is to improve the care of persons who have diabetes. These standards are designed to drive quality improvement primarily through external accountability at the health plan and provider level for ambulatory care, including public reporting of results. They are intended for use by consumers, purchasers, healthcare professionals, providers, health plans, accreditors, quality improvement organizations, researchers, community and public health groups, and other relevant stakeholders to enable performance-based decisions about provider and health plan selection.
The NQF Board of Directors approved 9 measures for public reporting, based on an updated set of measures issued by the National Diabetes Quality Improvement Alliance in January 2005. The set of 9 consensus standards replaces, in its entirety, a set endorsed by the NQF in 2002. The consensus standards were vetted through NQF's formal Consensus Development Process, with multiple stakeholder input, review, and voting, to achieve special legal standing as voluntary consensus standards.
NQF Members will consider 32 additional diabetes performance measures intended for internal provider, health plan, and community quality improvement activities in a vote to take place later this month.
"Having better, standardized public information about care for diabetes will help improve the care of persons having this condition," said Kenneth W. Kizer, MD, MPH, President and CEO of the NQF.
The 9 endorsed measures are:
A1c Management
* Percentage of patients with one or more A1c test(s)
* Percentage of patients with most recent A1c level > 9.0% (poor control)
Lipid Management
* Percentage of patients with at least one LDL-C test
* Percentage of patients with most recent LDL-C <130 mg/dl
* Percentage of patients with most recent LDL-C <100 mg/dl
Urine Protein Screening
* Percentage of patients with at least one test for microalbumin during
the measurement year; or who had evidence of medical attention for
existing nephropathy (diagnosis of nephropathy or documentation of
microalbuminuria or albuminuria)
Eye Examination
* Percentage of patients who received a dilated eye exam or seven
standard field stereoscopic photos with interpretation by an
ophthalmologist or optometrist or imaging validated to match diagnosis
from these photos during the reporting year, or during the prior year,
if patient is at low risk for retinopathy
Foot Examination
* Percentage of eligible patients receiving at least one foot exam,
defined in any manner
Blood Pressure Management
* Percentage of patients with most recent blood pressure <140/80 mm Hg
One proposed measure for public reporting, related to smoking use, was not endorsed and instead deferred for re-consideration at a later time, because other smoking use measures that will also apply to adults with diabetes are currently being considered for endorsement as part of NQF's ambulatory care consensus standards project.
Any party may request reconsideration of the recommendations, in whole or part, by notifying the NQF in writing no later than June 12, 2005 (601 13th Street, NW, Suite 500 North, Washington, DC 20005; fax 202.783.3434). For an appeal to be considered, the notification letter must include information clearly demonstrating that the appellant has interests that are directly and materially affected by the NQF-endorsed recommendations and that the NQF decision has had (or will have) an adverse effect on those interests.
The NQF is a voluntary consensus standard-setting organization. It is a private, not-for-profit, public benefit corporation created in 1999 to develop and implement a national strategy for healthcare quality measurement and reporting. Established as a unique public-private partnership, the NQF has broad participation from all sectors of the healthcare industry. Visit the NQF on the web at http://www.qualityforum.org/.
Source: National Quality Forum
CONTACT: Philip Dunn of the National Quality Forum, +1-202-783-0206, or
pdunn@qualityforum.org
Web site: http://www.qualityforum.org/