As these vital discussions continue, the ACR is developing products to help members deal with reporting requirements and improve quality within their practices. Here are some examples.
- ACR rheumatoid arthritis and gout practice improvement modules (PIMs) help practitioners meet ABIM Maintenance of Certification requirements.
- The ACR Rheumatology Clinical Registry will debut this spring. It will offer practices the benefit of PQRI reporting by taking advantage of the new registry reporting option.
- An evaluation of existing rheumatoid arthritis clinical disease activity measures will provide feedback on which measures are best for various purposes in a practice setting.
- Development of a quality-measures white paper to outline ACR positions on quality measurement and reporting. Members will have an opportunity to provide feedback on a draft of the paper via the ACR Web site.
- Development of relationships with electronic medical record (EMR) vendors to better influence their inclusion of a standard rheumatology template in their products. The goal is to make available EMRs more rheumatology friendly and interoperable with the clinical registry. ACR members can currently share their experiences with EMRs on the “EMR Review” section of the ACR Web site.
What the Future Holds
Rheumatologists practice in an environment where quality measurement and reporting are recognized to be imperfect but are expected. CMS and other payers have affirmed positions that favor value-based purchasing. National organizations that develop and implement quality measures have shifted from a process to an outcome orientation, with increased emphasis on care coordination that addresses systems issues. President Barack Obama and congressional leaders have stated their commitment to increased EMR implementation and other avenues directed at improved healthcare value. There is an increased emphasis on the central role of patients, which will lead to even greater calls for provider accountability.
These demands are real and warranted but will be extremely challenging to implement successfully. The ACR will continue to remain engaged in national efforts to improve healthcare quality, and we call on each of you to join us in working toward a future where quality improvement is a natural part of clinical practice. We recognize that the path to improve healthcare quality will be difficult and painful. There will be missteps and some failures. Many will question the rationale and long for the time when physicians were more autonomous. However, it is a path that must be taken because it is our professional responsibility to ensure that our patients reap the full benefits of what medical science has to offer.
