CMS will add seven new measures to its hospital inpatient quality reporting program as part of its Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System final rule released Aug. 1.
The measuresare:
- Patient safety structural measure
- Age-friendly hospital measure
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infection standardized infection radio statified for oncology locations
- Central line associated bloodstream infection standarized infection ratio startified for oncology locations
- Hospital harm-falls with injury
- Hospital harm-postoperative respiratory failure
- 30-day risk-standardized death rate among surgical inpatients with complications.
The patient safety measure will take effect in 2025, while the remaining six will begin in 2026.
The patient safety structural measure assess whether hospitals have a structure and culture that prioritize safety through five domains: leadership committed to eliminating preventable harm; strategic planning and organizational policy; a culture of safety and learning; accountability and transparency; and patient and family engagement, according to a CMS final rule.
"While each of our existing measures address processes and outcomes that encourage providers to improve patient safety for specific conditions or related to specific treatments, these measures do not address the overall culture in which the care is provided," CMS said in the ruling. "Combining this systems-level structural measure with other high-priority safety outcome measures would result in a robust and complementary patient safety measure set."
Leapfrog has released a statement applauding the new rule on behalf of purchasers and consumer advocates.
"We commend CMS leadership for taking this bold step which will make a profound difference in hard-wiring patient safety into hospitals throughout the country," Leapfrog said in an Aug. 2 news release.
CMS has also modified two existing measures and dropped five measures.