Let’s streamline quality measures to reflect what really matters

The Oct. 17 editorial (“Lower the volume on quality reporting,” p. 24) correctly characterizes not only the conflict among hospital measurement requirements, but its effect on hospitals and patients. Measurement does help improve quality, but only if we measure the things that really matter to advance safe, effective and efficient care.

The rapid growth in conflicting measure requirements takes time away from what matters most—using measures to improve care. Hospitals and patients alike need streamlined measures that strategically focus on the most important quality issues, and information on what changes are needed to improve outcomes and how to implement those changes. Let’s come together to cut through the noise of excessive measurement and home in on what leads to truly better care for patients.

Rick Pollack President and CEO American Hospital Association