The Joint Commission Enters Next Generation of Quality Measurement, Offers Accredited Hospitals Real-Time Quality Metrics

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., May 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Joint Commission is shepherding in the next generation of clinical quality by expanding the capabilities of its quality measure program to provide accredited hospitals with year-round, real-time access to quality measures. Over the last two years, The Joint Commission has transformed its electronic clinical quality measure (eCQM) reporting process to increase value and reduce burden for thousands of their 4,500 accredited hospitals with a Direct Data Submission Platform (DDSP). The Joint Commission is now continuing that digital transformation by making the platform and quality measure results continuously available, allowing providers to measure and improve performance in near real-time without additional outside vendors.

The DDSP is the first solution to make clinical quality language-based eCQMs available to providers in an execution environment where they can generate and use the results continuously. Clinical quality language (CQL) is the new industry standard for measures, used by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for 2019 eCQM reporting, and endorsed by HL7 International. CQL brings together the underlying logic of quality measurement, clinical pathways, clinical decision support and more. It can eliminate manual translation of measures, requiring fewer resources and less time spent in measures implementation. The Joint Commission can now use a single environment to specify, develop, test, and distribute CQL measures for use.

With The Joint Commission's DDSP, accredited hospitals now have additional tools to go beyond simply sending data one way, but using that information to improve quality performance and data accuracy in near real-time.

"What we've accomplished in the last two years with the Direct Data Submission Platform has delivered ongoing value for our accredited hospitals," said Dr. David Baker, Executive Vice President for the Division of Health Care Quality Evaluation at The Joint Commission. "We're thrilled to build on that value with continuous quality insights that empower providers to make real-time performance improvements."

The Joint Commission has partnered with Apervita to provide the cloud platform that underpins this program by enabling providers to specify, develop, test, and execute eCQMs, as well as create and distribute applications that use them, in the cloud at scale. Apervita's mission is aligned with The Joint Commission to reduce cost and improve quality.

"The Joint Commission's success is paving the way for a new frontier in quality measurement," said Apervita founder and CEO Paul Magelli. "The Joint Commission's work is a great example of the industry benefiting from a cloud platform that removes cost and time while delivering value to providers, and ultimately, their patients."

About The Joint Commission:
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

About Apervita:
Apervita, Inc. is the first healthcare Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) that allows providers, payers and the health enterprises that support them to easily build and share applications that decrease cost, improve patient and clinician experience, and improve outcomes. With Apervita, health enterprises can collaborate freely and securely within and outside of their organizations, streamlining, standardizing and auditing quality measures, operational metrics and care pathways. Apervita is used by approximately 1,000 hospitals nationwide.

Media Contacts:
Maureen Lyons, Media Relations and Corporate Communications, The Joint Commission
[email protected]

Kevin Weinstein, Chief Growth Officer, Apervita
[email protected]

SOURCE The Joint Commission; Apervita