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Endorsement & Maintenance

Why are measures important? Because when tested and implemented correctly, measures can enhance the entire health care system by allowing both clinicians and patients to make informed decisions based on the patient’s health care journey.  Battelle is a certified consensus-based entity (CBE), ensuring informed and thoughtful endorsement reviews of clinical quality and cost/resource use measures. 

E&M Projects

We organize measures for E&M by 5 project topical areas. A project consists of measures submitted by measure developers/stewards and grouped by similar topic. Each project topical area has an evaluation committee that oversees the portfolio of measures for the topic. We ensure diversity of E&M committee membership through an annual nominations process to fill gaps in expertise and needed perspective.  

Up to 60 PQM-members are appointed to an E&M project committee, which is divided into an Advisory Group and a Recommendation Group (Figure 1). 

  • The Advisory Group consists of 35-40 people. Members in this group review measures and are convened to provide feedback and questions regarding the measure(s) under review, 1-2 months prior to the Recommendation Group endorsement meeting. These inputs ensure a larger number of voices contribute to the consensus-building process.  
  • The Recommendation Group consists of 20-25 people and serves as the endorsement voting body. Members in this group review and provide ratings and written comments on measures prior to the Recommendation Group endorsement meeting. The Recommendation Group also considers the Advisory Group’s feedback, public comments, and developer/steward responses before rendering an endorsement decision via a vote during the endorsement meeting. 

 

 

Figure 1. Recommendation and Advisory Group Structure 

Beginning in late spring, a call for nominations is published on the PQM website and an announcement is sent out to all PQM members. Nominations, including self-nominations, are submitted via the PQM website. Third-party nominations must indicate that the individual has been contacted and is willing to serve. Nominees must be PQM members and membership is free! Not already a PQM-member, sign up today on the Get Involved page. 

Committee member appointments are finalized later in the summer and take effect beginning with the Fall E&M cycle. Committee members are appointed to a 3-year term, during which they serve on both the Advisory and Recommendation Groups. Newly appointed committee members are initially seated on the Advisory Group for the first 2 years of their term and then move into the Recommendation Group to conclude their 3-year term. This approach ensures each member of the Advisory Group will have the opportunity to serve on the Recommendation Group within their term.