Generating and Reporting Electronic Clinical Quality Measures from Electronic Health Records: Strategies from EvidenceNOW Cooperatives

Joshua E. Richardson; Luke V. Rasmussen; David A. Dorr; Jenna T. Sirkin; Donna Shelley; Adovich Rivera; Winfred Wu; Samuel Cykert; Deborah J. Cohen; Abel N. Kho

doi:10.1055/s-0042-1748145

Applied Clinical Informatics, Table of Contents

Appl Clin Inform 2022; 13(02): 485-494
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1748145

Research Article

Generating and Reporting Electronic Clinical Quality Measures from Electronic Health Records: Strategies from EvidenceNOW Cooperatives

Joshua E. Richardson

¹Center for Health Informatics and Evidence Synthesis, RTI International, Chicago, Illinois, United States

,

Luke V. Rasmussen

²Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States

,

David A. Dorr

³Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States

,

Jenna T. Sirkin

⁴NORC at the University of Chicago, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

,

Donna Shelley

⁵Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health, New York, New York, United States

,

Adovich Rivera

⁶Institute of Public Health and Management, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States

,

Winfred Wu

⁷Bureau of Primary Care Information Project, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, United States

,

Samuel Cykert

⁸Division of General Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

,

Deborah J. Cohen

⁹Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States

,

Abel N. Kho

¹⁰Center for Health Information Partnerships (CHiP), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Background Electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs) from electronic health records (EHRs) are a key component of quality improvement (QI) initiatives in small-to-medium size primary care practices, but using eCQMs for QI can be challenging. Organizational strategies are needed to effectively operationalize eCQMs for QI in these practice settings.

Objective This study aimed to characterize strategies that seven regional cooperatives participating in the EvidenceNOW initiative developed to generate and report EHR-based eCQMs for QI in small-to-medium size practices.

Methods A qualitative study comprised of 17 interviews with representatives from all seven EvidenceNOW cooperatives was conducted. Interviewees included administrators were with both strategic and cooperative-level operational responsibilities and external practice facilitators were with hands-on experience helping practices use EHRs and eCQMs. A subteam conducted 1-hour semistructured telephone interviews with administrators and practice facilitators, then analyzed interview transcripts using immersion crystallization. The analysis and a conceptual model were vetted and approved by the larger group of coauthors.

Results Cooperative strategies consisted of efforts in four key domains. First, cooperative adaptation shaped overall strategies for calculating eCQMs whether using EHRs, a centralized source, or a “hybrid strategy” of the two. Second, the eCQM generation described how EHR data were extracted, validated, and reported for calculating eCQMs. Third, practice facilitation characterized how facilitators with backgrounds in health information technology (IT) delivered services and solutions for data capture and quality and practice support. Fourth, performance reporting strategies and tools informed QI efforts and how cooperatives could alter their approaches to eCQMs.

Conclusion Cooperatives ultimately generated and reported eCQMs using hybrid strategies because they determined neither EHRs alone nor centralized sources alone could operationalize eCQMs for QI. This required cooperatives to devise solutions and utilize resources that often are unavailable to typical small-to-medium-sized practices. The experiences from EvidenceNOW cooperatives provide insights into how organizations can plan for challenges and operationalize EHR-based eCQMs.

Keywords

quality improvement - primary health care - electronic health records - quality assurance - health care

Full Text

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material