Reducing measurement to improve quality
It is well known that healthcare organizations have access to a vast amount of data, and that a lot is unused and more is of little use. But what can be done about it? A June workshop at the Institute of Medicine (IOM) called Counting What Counts came to some conclusions and may mark the start of a new initiative to streamline data collection and make better use of what is collected.
Participants discussed current challenges, such as the inability to compare data at more than one level, a lack of coordination among those asking for data, and the unwieldy quantity of data collected. They discussed potential fixes, which extended beyond reducing the number to a core set. Among their other suggestions were prioritizing measures so that what is collected relates to the most important issues; creating systems that capture and exchange the data; and creating systems that are flexible enough to adapt to new technologies.
Rather than start afresh, the IOM hopes to piggy back onto existing efforts by an alphabet soup of organizations — CMS, AHRQ, NCQA and NQF, among others. The impact could be substantial. Along with reducing the data collection burden, participants of the workshop felt that such efforts would foster better collaboration and allow true comparisons of best practices across organizations.
The IOM didn't specify when the further study mooted at the meeting would begin, but they did produce an infographic related to it, which can be seen at http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2013/Core-Measurement-Needs-for-Better-Care-Better-Health-and-Lower-Costs/Counting-What-Counts-Graphic.aspx.