The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has launched the new Web-based National Quality Measures Clearinghouse™ (NQMC). The NQMC contains the most current evidence-based quality measures and measure sets available to evaluate and improve the quality of health care.
The site is designed to be a "one-stop shop" for physicians, hospitals, health plans, and others who may be interested in quality measures. Users can search the NQMC for measures that target a particular disease/condition, treatment/intervention, age range, sex, vulnerable population, setting of care, or contributing organization. Visitors can compare attributes of two or more quality measures side by side to determine which measures best suit their needs. The site also provides material on how to select, use, apply, and interpret a measure.
The NQMC builds on AHRQ's previous initiatives in quality measurement and will be part of a larger Web site now in the planning stage. This expanded site will comprise quality, clinical information, and decision tool components, as well as the National Guideline Clearinghouse™ (NGC). The NQMC and NGC will be linked for those who wish to coordinate their search for both quality measures and guidelines. Measures to be considered for inclusion in the NQMC can be submitted on an ongoing basis but must meet a set of criteria that can be found at the NQMC Web site noted above.
Organizations interested in contributing quality measures should contact NQMC by sending an E-mail to info@qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov.
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