Health Care Leaders Discuss Next Generation of Quality and Value Metrics

WASHINGTON – Top health care industry leaders from around the country joined for a two-day roundtable discussion about the next generation of health care quality and value metrics. The meeting allowed leaders to compare and contrast how they use metrics to enhance quality of care and value for patients. 

“We greatly appreciate the time, commitment and expertise of these health care leaders, who shared thoughtful and powerful insights on how to better measure quality, safety and performance,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “I believe strategic partnerships with our health care colleagues, public and private, are invaluable.”

Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD, president of the Institute of Medicine and former provost of Harvard University, moderated the discussion. The meeting created a dialogue across major health care systems in order to work toward two primary goals: to identify the next generation of performance metrics to assess population health, patient experience and health care value, and to explore opportunities to develop and use these new measures.

Last year, VA launched its ASPIRE for Quality initiative, aimed at making data and outcome information available to the public in such areas as inpatient and ambulatory care, prevention, and chronic disease. More information on ASPIRE is available at www.hospitalcompare.va.gov.

Attendees Included:

• Eric K. Shinseki, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
• Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD, President of the Institute of Medicine
• Brian Alexander, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School
• Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President for Performance Measures, National Quality Forum
• Francis J. Crosson, MD, Senior Fellow, Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy
• Douglas Eby, MD, MPH, Vice President of Medical Services for Southcentral Foundation, Alaska Native Medical Center
• Richard J. Gilfillan, MD, Acting Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation
• Lt. Gen. Charles B. Green, MD, Surgeon General of the Air Force
• Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Health Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health; Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Thomas Lee, MD, Network President, Partners Healthcare System Inc.
• Elizabeth A McGlynn, PhD, Director of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Effectiveness and Safety Research
• David B. Pryor, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Ascension Health
• Stephen Swensen, MD, Mayo Clinic Director of Quality
• Robert Petzel, MD, VA Under Secretary for Health
• Robert Jesse, MD, PhD, VA Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health
• William E. Duncan, MD, PhD, VA Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality and Safety
• Peter Almenoff, MD, VA Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality and Safety