Become a PQM Member
As a PQM member, you can help shape the future of health care by taking an active role in the quality measurement process. Whether you are a patient/recipient of care or patient advocate, health care professional, or other interested party, your voice matters! Because it is important we hear from everyone, PQM membership is FREE to all.
By joining PQM, you will have the opportunity to:
Use your health care experiences and/or professional expertise to review and provide feedback on quality measures the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is considering for use in Medicare programs.
Evaluate whether measures should be endorsed based on their evidence, scientific rigor such as reliability and validity, feasibility, and their safety and effectiveness.
Types of Membership – Which Is Right for You?
Individual Membership:
You want to
- Represent yourself and provide personal insights based on lived experiences or subject matter expertise.
- Serve on PQM committees supporting Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR), Measure Set Review (MSR), and Endorsement & Maintenance (E&M).
Organizational Membership:
You represent a specialty society or organization and want to
- Represent your entities’ interests.
- Serve on select PQM committees supporting PRMR and MSR.
- E&M committees do not include organizational seats; however, individuals who have PQM membership via their organization may be nominated to serve on an E&M committee.
Have questions? Contact PQM Support at [email protected].
Join a Committee
It takes diverse voices to drive PQM’s mission. PQM uses a consensus-based process involving a variety of experts—clinicians, patients, measure experts, and health information technology specialists—to ensure informed and thoughtful endorsement reviews of quality performance measures. Interested in learning more about joining a committee? Select the "Now Accepting Nominations" button to submit your nomination.
Endorsement & Maintenance (E&M)
The E&M process ensures measures submitted for endorsement are evidence-based, scientifically sound (i.e., reliable and valid), and both safe and effective, meaning use of the measure will increase the likelihood of desired health outcomes; will not increase the likelihood of unintended, adverse health outcomes; and is consistent with current professional knowledge. During each E&M cycle (Fall and Spring), submitted measures are reviewed by an E&M committee and a decision of endorsement is rendered (i.e., to endorse or not endorse a measure).
We appoint individuals from the PQM membership to E&M committees to participate in the E&M process. E&M committees are composed of diverse members representing all facets of the health care system. There are five E&M committees that evaluate, discuss, and vote on endorsement decisions for measures under endorsement review. Each committee has two co-chairs and the committee consists of two sub-groups: an Advisory Group and a Recommendation Group. All newly appointed committee members are seated on the Advisory Group for two out of their 3-year term, with the last year being reserved for participation on the Recommendation Group. The Advisory Group is tasked to review measures and meet virtually to discuss and raise questions regarding the strengths and limitations of measures. Advisory Group input is shared with the Recommendation Group for review and endorsement vote consideration.
E&M Committee Member Time Commitment
During your 3-year term on an E&M committee, you will:
- Work with Battelle staff to evaluate and endorse measures.
- Serve two years on the Advisory Group, and serve your last year on the Recommendation Group.
- Participate in virtual teleconference meetings, which tentatively occur during the timeframe below.
- Advisory Group Meetings:
- Spring Cycle: 1st week of June
- Fall Cycle: 1st week December
- Recommendation Group Meetings (i.e., endorsement meetings):
- Spring Cycle: 4th week of July
- Fall Cycle: 4th week of January - 2nd week of February
- Advisory Group Meetings:
- Review relevant E&M materials (e.g., measure submission, public comments, staff assessments) in advance of the endorsement meetings.
- Conduct independent measure reviews using the PQM Measure Evaluation Rubric by established deadlines.
- Complete disclosure of interest forms by established deadlines.
Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) and Measure Set Review (PRMR)
PRMR and MSR processes ensure that measures under review are reasonable and sufficient, meaning that the measures are meaningful and tailored to unique needs, balanced and scaled to meet quality program-specific goals, and consistent with a clear vision of near- and long-term quality program specific impacts. The PRMR process is conducted yearly to provide recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the selection of quality and efficiency measures under consideration for use by HHS, as required under Section 3014 of the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010" (ACA) (P.L. 111-148) which created section 1890A of the Social Security Act. MSR is also conducted annually to provide recommendations on the removal of quality and efficiency measures from CMS programs. The MSR process is statutorily enabled by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Public Law 116–260. We appoint individuals from the PQM membership to PRMR committees to participate in both the PRMR and MSR processes. PRMR committees are made up of a combination of those who are the most impacted by adoption and implementation of the measures and those who bring broader and system perspectives to the PRMR and MSR processes. The committee membership is made up of both individual and organizational seats. There are three cross-setting PRMR committees: Hospital and Hospital-Related Facilities; Clinician; and Post-Acute Care/Long-Term Care (PAC/LTC). You will have the opportunity to specify below which committee(s) you are interested in joining and whether you are interested in an individual or organizational seat. Each committee consists of two subgroups: an Advisory Group and a Recommendation Group. The Advisory Group members provide written and oral feedback on measures during the PRMR process. Their feedback is foundational to the recommendation process as part of the pre-rulemaking process. The Recommendation Group also includes providing written feedback as well as attending measure review meetings during which recommendations on individual measures are made. All PRMR committee members will get an opportunity to participate at least once in the Recommendation Group in their 3-year term. A subset of PRMR members will be selected to serve on the MSR committee.
PRMR Committee Time Commitment
For each PRMR cycle (1 per year) the time commitment is about 40-60 hours, which includes:
- Orientation meeting to occur in December 2024
- Up to two days of virtual meetings for measure review (10 am - 5 pm ET) if appointed to the recommendation groups. These meetings will occur in January 2025
- Assessment of the measures under consideration for that PRMR cycle
- Review of meeting materials in advance of the all-day review meeting
- Answer emails requesting availability or other requests.
For each MSR cycle (1 per year), the time commitment is about 20 hours, which includes:
- Orientation meeting tentatively planned to occur in August 2024
- Up to two days of meeting (virtual or in-person/virtual hybrid) for measure review (8:30 am- 5.30 pm ET) tentatively planned to occur in late September/early October 2024.
- Review meeting materials in advance of the all-day review meeting
- Answer emails requesting availability or other requests
Committee Nominations:
Battelle staff conduct a review of committee member appointments annually, which includes internal re-calibration of membership, a call for nominations, and targeted outreach.
Any interested party may nominate themselves or another individual to a committee of interest once the nominations period is open.