Changes to quality reporting program announced
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized proposed quality measure OP-32 and ASC-12 "Facility Seven-Day Risk-Standardized Hospital Visit Rate after Outpatient Colonoscopy," despite objections from the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) and others.
"Although there are significant problems with the measure’s validity, reliability, and usability, there is no additional burden placed on a facility, as the measure will be reported by the hospital which the patient visits within seven days of the colonoscopy," the ASCA said.
The measure will have payment determination CY 2018 and subsequent years for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) and ASC Quality Reporting Program (ASCQRP) programs.
CMS also finalized the May 15, 2015, reporting deadline for ASC-8 and OP-27: "Influenza Vaccination Coverage among Healthcare Personnel" through the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), which is managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To report this measure through NHSN as required, someone from every facility must register with NHSN. At press time, fewer than 1,000 centers (out of more than 5,300 Medicare-certified facilities) had registered for NHSN. This registration process can take several weeks, so the ASCA advises facilities to register immediately. For instructions, go to http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/ambulatory-surgery/enroll.html.
CMS also finalized its proposal to make OP-31 and ASC-11 "Cataracts: Improvement in Patient’s Visual Function within 90 Days Following Cataract Surgery" a voluntary measure.
The ASCA has developed a free quality reporting resource that identifies the deadlines and reporting mechanisms associated with all 10 quality measures that ASCs will need to report next year. To access that resource, go to http://bit.ly/1vHnB6J. You can visit ASCA’s Quality Reporting web page for additional resources, including the latest specifications manual, frequently asked questions, a quality data G-codes cheat sheet, and sample safe surgery checklists. To access that web page, go to http://bit.ly/KOT4m0.
For the most up-to-date information on registering for NHSN, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/ambulatory-surgery/hcp-vaccination/index.html.
For the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program, CMS is doing the following:
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removing two "topped-out" prophylactic antibiotic surgery measures ("OP-6: Timing of Prophylaxis Antibiotics" and "OP-7: Prophylactic Antibiotic Selection for Surgical Patients");
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noting a delayed data collection for "OP-29: Endoscopy/Polyp Surveillance: Appropriate Follow-up Interval for Normal Colonoscopy in Average Risk Patients" and "OP-30: Endoscopy/Polyp Surveillance: Colonoscopy Interval for Patients with a History of Adenomatous Polyps Avoidance of Inappropriate Use."
