NQF Seeks Comment on Measure Maintenance Process

WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Quality Forum (NQF) is seeking public comment through April 14 on a proposed new process for maintaining its portfolio of endorsed standards; NQF members can submit comments through April 21. The new process establishes a regular schedule for reviewing previously endorsed measures and provides an opportunity to harmonize new and previously endorsed measures.  The new process also proposes creating disease- and topic-specific committees to provide expertise in this review.

Every three years NQF endorsed standards are reviewed to ensure they continue to meet NQF's endorsement criteria.  Stewards of measures endorsed by NQF are also responsible for sending annual updates of measure specification information and highlighting any changes that have been made to the measure.  

The proposed new process establishes a regular schedule for this three year review, thus allowing NQF to build committees of experts to review the measures, and an opportunity to harmonize specifications of measures being proposed for endorsement with those already endorsed. This new process will also provide the opportunity to ensure that endorsed measures truly represent the "best in class" and move toward a more comprehensive picture of the care provided for a given disease or topic.  

NQF is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve the quality of healthcare for all Americans by setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement; endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.  

Just as NQF asks the healthcare system to measure, report, and constantly improve, it is constantly improving its own systems and processes.  NQF is revising its measure endorsement and maintenance process and opening it for public comment in an effort to ensure the measures it endorses are truly the best in class.  

For more information on NQF's proposed process for measure endorsement and maintenance visit NQF's website.  Public comments will be accepted through April 14.  NQF members can submit comments through April 21.

The mission of the National Quality Forum is to improve the quality of American healthcare by setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement, endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance, and promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.  NQF, a non-profit organization (qualityforum.org) with diverse stakeholders across the public and private health sectors, was established in 1999 and is based in Washington, DC.

SOURCE National Quality Forum