CMS will partner with clinicians, patients and others to develop, improve, update and expand quality measures in the Quality Payment Program. Here are six details.
1. CMS will award up to $2 million per year to each participant in the measurement development program, beginning in August. It will select as many as 20 entities to take part in the project, and participation periods will range from one to three years.
2. Clinical specialty societies, clinical professional organizations, patient advocacy organizations, educational institutions, independent research organizations and health systems are eligible applicants.
3. Through cooperative agreements with these entities, CMS looks to initially focus on measure development for clinical care, safety, care coordination, patient and caregiver experience, population health and prevention and affordable care.
4. CMS identified orthopedic surgery, pathology, radiology, mental health and substance use conditions, oncology, palliative care and emergency medicine as specialty areas with gaps in measurement.
5. To improve patient outcomes, the grant funding project will involve developing outcome measures such as patient reported outcome and functional status measures; patient experience measures; care coordination measures; and measures of appropriate use of services, including measures of overuse.
6. Applications are available for download at Grants.gov and must be submitted electronically by May 2.
