With the implementation of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), most physician anesthesiologists view quality measures as a means to satisfy reporting requirements for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). However, a well-designed quality measure has the dual potential to drive real improvements in patient care at the local level in addition to satisfying regulatory reporting requirements.
Physician anesthesiologists often report that existing quality measures pose a significant data collection burden without providing meaningful insight into the quality of care they provide. Many historic measures that were included in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and are now part of the MIPS Quality Component are viewed as “check the box” measures that may not adequately reflect the diversity and nuances of anesthesia care.
In response to this feedback, and as noted in previous Monitor articles, the Committee on Performance...
