In the transition to value-based systems of reimbursement, hospitals are increasingly being evaluated — and penalized — based on quality metrics and patient outcomes. To aid in hospitals' goal to meet quality requirements and avoid steep fines, Susan DeVore, president and CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based Premier, says hospitals must develop a "quality cycle management" system to effectively track quality and improve future outcomes, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Hospitals continue to use quality measurement frameworks to benchmark and monitor quality performance, but metrics alone don't help hospitals improve outcomes without a clear performance tracking system, defined standards and methodology for improvement, according to Ms. DeVore. She suggests a quality cycle management system, similar to the revenue cycle process hospitals use to ensure claims are paid properly.
"Much like the revenue cycle process, hospitals need to be able to keep track of and manage the quality cycle of care to determine the most important areas of focus and consistently meet high-performance measures," according to Ms. DeVore. "If we take some of the best practices from the revenue cycle, we can implement a quality cycle management process that aligns and focuses firmly on the specific elements of performance that produce continuous quality improvement, and in turn, a healthier balance sheet."
In addition to clarity of standards and procedures and metrics with targets, quality cycle management requires a solid culture of accountability and executive engagement to affect change.