2024 Hospital Quality Measure Updates: A Comprehensive Summary
Quality metrics continually evolve as CMS and The Joint Commission aim to elevate healthcare standards. However, staying current with these changes can be arduous and time-consuming. Here, we simplify the process by summarizing critical measures found in Medisolv's trusted partner blog.
2024 Hospital IQR Requirements
The 2024 Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting program will see hospitals face alterations, so preparation is important. Since 2003, under the Medicare Modernization Act, the program evaluates and rewards or penalties hospitals dependent on quality measure reporting and performance. Failure to participate means a 25% Medicare payment decrease.
Key 2024 changes incorporate mandatory electronic Clinical Quality Measures (eCQMs), new screening measures for social health determinants, and patient reported outcome measure for for Total Hip Arthroplasty/Total Knee Arthroplasty. Hospitals must also submit chart-abstracted, hybrid and structural measures alongside population data, patient experience surveys, and infection indicators. Following the directives is critical for hospitals to sustain themselves financially.
Overall, medical centers need to stay informed about changes to the 2024 Inpatient Quality Reporting program guidelines. New measures and submission dates will take effect. Data quality is also crucial, with an emphasis on accuracy and fullness. Ensuring information is right and complete will help facilities succeed under the updated rules.
Click here to read the full article: 2024 Hospital IQR Requirements (medisolv.com)
Changes to the Quality Payment Program under the 2024 PFS Final Rule
The 2024 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule brought significant changes to the Quality Payment Program (QPP), impacting reporting. QPP transitioned healthcare payments from volume to value since 2017 under the 21st Century Cures Act and MACRA.
Key Quality measures moved to MVP in 2024 MIPS, requiring new reporting. CMS kept the score at 75 points, extended PI reporting to 180 days, and changed PI reweighting affecting groups. A "yes" to SAFER Guides was added to PI.
The CMS transitioned away from its website for ACO reporting by 2025. New quality measures now assess Medicare patients, including electronic health records.
ACOs can earn extra points until 2025 to boost performance and help underserved groups. The government finalized its MVP framework with five new focus areas and changes to others. All reflect shifts in quality care and the need for providers to adjust to these evolving standards.
Click here to read the full article: 2024 Hospital IQR Requirements (medisolv.com)
2024 Joint Commission ORYX Requirements
The Joint Commission (TJC) has released its 2024 ORYX® quality reporting initiative requirements, introducing notable changes compared to the 2023 requirements. One significant change is the removal of the "number of live births" concept.
Hospitals will now participate as Large HAP (Hospital Accreditation Program) or Small HAP/Critical Access Hospital (CAH) based on their size and obstetrical service provision. Large hospitals (with 26 or more licensed beds or 50,000 or more outpatient visits) providing any obstetrical services must meet this year's Perinatal Care (PC) requirements.
TJC has also altered the submission of PC measures, replacing PC-01, PC-02, and PC-05 with eCQMs PC-02 and PC-07. Starting July 1, 2024, hospitals reporting National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) measures through a CMS program must join The Joint Commission NHSN Group. TJC intends to enforce these requirements and may deny accreditation to hospitals failing to meet ORYX® performance measure reporting for two consecutive years without an approved extenuating circumstance.
In terms of specific 2024 ORYX® program requirements, hospitals with 26 or more beds or 50,000 or more outpatient visits, and providing obstetrical services, must submit three required eCQMs (ePC-02, ePC-07, Safe Use of Opioids) and select three other eCQMs for a total of six eCQMs. Hospitals without obstetrical services or those with fewer than 26 beds and less than 50,000 outpatient visits must submit only Safe Use of Opioids and three other eCQMs or chart-abstracted measures. For chart-abstracted measures, hospitals must submit PC-06: Newborn Complications, which can also be submitted as an eCQM. Furthermore, certain measures have been added, retired, or modified, reflecting the evolving landscape of quality reporting.
Click here to read the full article: 2024 Joint Commission ORYX Requirements (medisolv.com)
2024 IPPS Final Rule: What Your Hospital Needs to Know
The 2024 IPPS Final Rule from CMS introduces several significant changes, often occurring in clusters of three, making them easier to track.
In the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program, CMS is adding three new electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) set to be available in 2025. These measures, including Hospital Harm—Pressure Injury (PI) and Hospital Harm—Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), are notable for their health equity focus, addressing disparities in patient outcomes. Another addition is the Excessive Radiation Dose or Inadequate Image Quality for Diagnostic Computed Tomography (CT) in Adults, a measure deemed crucial by CMS, leading to its proposal for inclusion in the Quality Payment Program (QPP) and mandatory submission under the Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) program.
Furthermore, the rule modifies existing IQR measures like Hybrid Hospital-Wide Readmission and Hybrid Hospital-Wide Mortality, now including Medicare Advantage beneficiaries starting July 1, 2024. The COVID-19 vaccination coverage measure undergoes modifications as well. In the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, changes will affect both the IQR and Hospital Value Based Purchasing (HVBP) Programs, aiming to improve patient representation, response rates, and language preferences.
Click here to read the full article: 2024 IPPS Final Rule: What Your Hospital Needs to Know | Medisolv