In an effort to improve data transparency, CMS has developed a five-point strategy to make more data available for provider, researcher and patient use while protecting patients' personal health information, according to a report in Health Affairs.
1. CMS aims to provide more actionable data reports to providers. An example is the qualified entity program, through which providers can request a report detailing Medicare claims data along with claims data from other payers to provide as comprehensive a picture as possible of the provider's quality and efficiency.
2. Through the Blue Button Initiative, Medicare patients can download their data to share with their providers.
3. CMS is increasing the amount of data shared with researchers, supporting nearly 300 percent more requests for data now than in 2009.
4. More data from CMS is being released for private-sector innovation. Examples include data sets that allow cost comparisons between hospitals for common services, and data on geographic variation at the county level.
5. The Data Navigator on the CMS website makes available data easier to find.
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