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A Roadmap for Bridging the Quality Gap
by Louis H. Diamond, MBChB, FCP, (SA), FACP, FHIMSS
July 8, 2013
HIMSS Clinical Informatics Insights
Our healthcare system must traverse multiple crossroads in order to move to the next level. Achieving the goals of improving the quality/affordability of care and population health must begin with a commitment to careful analysis and evaluation of our current state. This will only be possible with clear communication and open dialog, with those dedicated to quality measurement and improvement seated at the same table as those with expertise in health IT usability along with patient representatives. Engagement of ALL stakeholders is necessary in order to translate the priorities of our National Quality Strategy into practice and to scale these important goals across our nation’s communities, both large and small.
Blumenthal commented, “We have a long way to go to achieve the full promise of HITECH” (Commonwealth Fund Blog; June 4, 2013). Schneider et al remind us about the “IT productivity gap” and the need to not just digitalize data; systems and workflow will require re-design. Several recent reports speak to a roadmap (Comway, Mostashari and Clansy. JAMA 5 June 2013. 309; 21; 2215—2216; Berenson, Pronovost and Krumholz) for achieving the potential of healthcare performance measures (RWJ and Urban Institute May 2013). Berenson has described even policy recommendations to improve quality measurement (Berenson. Health Affairs; Blog May 22, 2013).
Here’s a simplified articulation of a roadmap focused on improving patient outcomes and bridging the quality gap:
Continue focusing attention on the National Quality Strategy and the recommendations of the National Priorities Partnership, and enhance efforts to facilitate adoption of the priorities at the local and community level.
Retool the measurement enterprise with a focus on outcome measures, but not to the exclusion of process measures; focus on measures that capture important dimensions of care across time and setting; capture measures at each level of the system with timely feedback to achieve improvement; data capture needed to support measurement, should be planned for during the measure development phase, and must be a by-product of care delivery.
Re-commit to explicitly focus on improvement balanced with the commitment of resources to measure development, endorsement, and public reporting; take steps to develop and facilitate use of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) tools developed through a process that integrates CDS development with measure development; foster culture change and enhanced leadership skills at the sharp end.
Focus continued attention on EHR and HIE adoption that reduces the burden of data collection, facilitates workflow redesign and exhibits enhanced usability. Efforts must escalate patient engagement, facilitate patient-reported information including from the home setting with capture of medication usage, weight, BP levels, etc. along with other important patient-focused activities and characteristics.
A roadmap for phased implementation of a Learning Health System should be committed to.
Support a research agenda that focuses on improvement and integrates the various tools and technologies available to scale improvement activities.
About the Contributor
Louis H. Diamond, MBChB, FCP (SA), FACP, FHIMSS, is the President of Quality in Health Care Advisory Group, LLC (QHC). He is an expert in the use of methodologies for measuring and improving quality and also involved in the development of public policy through projects focused on patient safety, health system financing, physician payment reform, quality measurement and reporting, and performance improvement.
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