CMS issues 'strategic vision' for physician quality reporting programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently issued a “strategic vision” for how it will administer the Physician Quality Reporting System, Physician Feedback/Value-Based Payment Modifier Program and other physician quality reporting programs. The document outlines five vision statements, or principles, and indicators of success for each. The principles are: input from patients, caregivers and health care professionals will guide the programs; feedback and data will drive rapid cycle quality improvement; public reporting will provide meaningful, transparent and actionable information; quality reporting programs will rely on an aligned measure portfolio; and quality reporting and value-based purchasing program policies will be aligned. “With passage of H.R. 2, key components of these physician programs will serve as the foundation for the Merit-based Incentive Payment System,” wrote Patrick Conway, M.D., CMS principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer. “The Strategic Vision describes in concrete terms how we will advance the goals and objectives for quality improvement outlined in the CMS Quality Strategy through these quality measurement and reporting programs.”