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Quality Workgroup

At its August 1, 2006, meeting, the Community formed the Quality Workgroup. The workgroup is charged with determining how health information technology (IT) can be used for the development of quality measures helpful to patients and others in the health care industry. Health IT systems are important tools for data collection that can support performance improvement on those quality measures. The members of the workgroup represent hospitals, hospital associations, health plans, industry, consumers, and federal agencies. The meetings of this workgroup are public and meeting materials are available to the public.

Charges will help the Community make recommendations based on the most complete information.


Broad Charge for the Workgroup:

Make recommendations to the American Health Information Community so that health IT can provide the data needed for the development of quality measures that are useful to patients and others in the health care industry, automate the measurement and reporting of a comprehensive current and future set of quality measures, and accelerate the use of clinical decision support that can improve performance on those quality measures. Also, make recommendations for how performance measures should align with the capabilities and limitations of health IT.


Specific Charge for the Workgroup:

Make recommendations to the American Health Information Community that specify how certified health information technology should capture, aggregate and report data for a core set of ambulatory and inpatient quality measures.


Summary of the Workgroup's vision for the future:

In response to the American Health Information Community (the Community), the Quality Workgroup prepared the following documents to assist the Community in its deliberations on recommendations it will make to the Secretary to address the needs and expectations of health care stakeholders. The Workgroup's vision is predicated on the idea that performance measurement is integral to all aspects of health care in the United States and that every citizen has the right to expect consistent high-quality, safe, and efficient care. The concepts and statements in this document are directed to the Community and subject to further deliberation by the Community.


Workgroup Members:

Member Organization
Co-Chairs  
Carolyn Clancy HHS/Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Richard (Rick) Stephens The Boeing Company
ONC Director  
Kelly Cronin HHS/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
Members  
Abby Block HHS/Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Janet Corrigan National Quality Forum
Helen Darling National Business Group on Health
Anne Easton U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Nancy Foster American Hospital Association
George Isham HealthPartners and AQA alliance
Jane Metzger First Consulting Group
Susan Postal Hospital Corporation of America
Gerald Shea AFL-CIO
Barry Straube HHS/Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Jonathan Teich Brigham and Women’s Hospital
William Tierney Regenstrief Institute, Inc.
Phyllis Torda National Committee for Quality Assurance
Reed Tuckson UnitedHealth Group
Charlene Underwood Siemens Medical Solutions and HIMSS EHR Vendor Association
Margaret VanAmringe Joint Commission
Josie Williams Texas A&M Health Science Center/Institute for Healthcare Evaluation/Quality, Patient Safety Initiatives Program
  last updated on 9/8/08


Upcoming Meetings of the Quality Workgroup:

  • Friday, October 17, 2008, 1:00 p.m., E.T.
  • Monday, November 17, 2008, 1:00 p.m., E.T.