The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched a new quality initiative as of July 1, 2007. This initiative, looking specifically at physician performance and documentation, is entitled the “Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS).” Physicians that demonstrate high levels of compliance with the reporting are eligible for a bonus equaling 1% of total allowed charges for covered Medicare physician fee schedule services for the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program.

The initiative is voluntary. However, you may remember that this is how the Hospital Quality Indicators began, as well. The materials available on the CMS website, www.cms.hhs.gov, do state that this is a preliminary step toward pay-for-performance for physicians and other providers, as mandated in H.R. 6111 The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006.

The initiative is currently comprised of 74 measures that apply to a broad spectrum of physician practice. Providers are encouraged by CMS to report on those measures that apply to their area of practice. Apollo Information Services, Inc. (AISI) will be collecting the data for clients based on the seven measures that the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has agreed apply to Emergency Medicine. The indicators are listed to the right.

• #28. Aspirin at Arrival for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI).d for Non-Traumatic Chest Pain
• #55. Electrocardiogram Performed for Syncope
• #56. Vital Signs for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
  
• #57. Assessment of Oxygen Saturation for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
  
• #58. Assessment of Mental Status for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
  
• #54. Electrocardiogram Performe
  
• #59. Empiric Antibiotic for Community-Acquired Bacterial Pneumonia

As one can see, most of the measures are either identical or similar to those currently being measured. To assist Apollo clients in achieving compliance with these measures, those who utilize The ECI QualChart System® will see a new symbol near the indicators on charts, in addition to the * that is currently there to indicate CMS Hospital Quality Indicators.

For more information on this topic, you can now access a plethora of information at http://www.acep.org.