Hospice and Palliative Care Composite Process Measure—Comprehensive Assessment at Admission

The Hospice Comprehensive Assessment Measure assesses the percentage of hospice stays in which patients who received a comprehensive patient assessment at hospice admission. The measure focuses on hospice patients age 18 years and older. A total of seven individual NQF endorsed component quality will provide the source data for this comprehensive assessment measure, including NQF #1634, NQF #1637, NQF #1639, NQF #1638, NQF #1617, NQF #1641, and NQF #1647. These seven measures are currently implemented in the CMS HQRP. These seven measures focus on care processes around hospice admission that are clinically recommended or required in the hospice Conditions of Participation, including patient preferences regarding life-sustaining treatments, care for spiritual and existential concerns, and management of pain, dyspnea, and bowels.