Dr Marcia Wilson Discusses Quality Measures in the Transition to Value-Based Care

Performance measurement is at the heart of improving healthcare, and part of this transition to value-based payment means creating measures that track the improvements of quality care, said Marcia Wilson, PhD, MBA, senior vice president of quality measurement at The National Quality Forum.

Transcript (slightly modified)

What is the importance of measurement and how has it intensified with the government’s move toward paying for value?

At NQF, National Quality Forum, we think performance measurement is really foundation to improving healthcare. And Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, they now have goals of better care, smarter spending and healthier people. And when you look at those goals, which they want to reach through this value-based purchasing by paying providers for the quality of care that’s provided as well as the outcomes that are reached for the patient.

When you look at that goals, it means we need to be able to measure, was the quality of care improved. Did we reduce the costs when we provided that care? Are we providing care efficiently, meaning we’re using resources well. And finally, did we end up with a healthier population? And that’s why performance measure has become more critical than ever as the CMS moves towards value-based purchasing. It means providers will be held increasingly accountable and consumers and purchasers are going to want to know about the value of healthcare that’s being provided.