Section 54: Standard Quality Measure Set

The department of public health shall promulgate regulations under section 25P of chapter 111 of the General Laws by April 1, 2011 requiring the uniform reporting of a standard set of health care quality measures for each health care provider facility, medical group, or provider group in the commonwealth hereinafter referred to as the “Standard Quality Measure Set.” The department of public health shall convene a statewide advisory committee which shall recommend to the department by January 1, 2011 the Standard Quality Measure Set. The statewide advisory committee shall consist of the commissioner of health care finance and policy or the commissioner's designee, and the commissioner of the department of public health or the commissioner’s designee, who shall serve as co-chairs; and up to 8 members, including the executive director of the group insurance commission and the Medicaid director, or the directors designees; and up to 6 representatives of organizations to be appointed by the governor including at least 1 representative from an acute care hospital or hospital association, 1 representative from a provider group or medical association or provider association, 1 representative from a medical group, 1 representative from a private health plan or health plan association, 1 representative from an employer association and 1 representative from a health care consumer group. Members of the committee shall be appointed for terms of 2 years and shall serve until the term is completed or until a successor is appointed. Members shall be eligible to be reappointed and shall serve without compensation. In developing its recommendation of the Standard Quality Measure Set, the advisory committee shall, after consulting with state and national organizations that monitor and develop quality and safety measures, select from existing quality measures and shall not select quality measures that are still in development or develop its own quality measures. The committee shall annually recommend to the department of public health any updates to the Standard Quality Measure Set by November 1. For its recommendation beginning in 2011, the committee may solicit for consideration and recommend other nationally recognized quality measures not yet developed or in use as of November 1, 2010, including recommendations from medical or provider specialty groups as to appropriate quality measures for that group's specialty. At a minimum, the Standard Quality Measure Set shall consist of the following quality measures: (i) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services hospital process measures for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention; (ii) the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey; (iii) the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set reported as individual measures and as a weighted aggregate of the individual measures by medical or provider group; and (iv) the Ambulatory Care Experiences Survey.