The federal government has unveiled its vision for the future of physician quality reporting in the Medicare program.

cmsIn the new document CMS Physician Quality Reporting Programs Strategic Vision, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) presents, according to the CMS blog, its

long-term vision for CMS quality measurement for physicians and professionals and public reporting programs, and how they can be optimized and aligned to support better decision-making from doctors, consumers, and every part of the health care system. The physician quality programs support our vision of a health system that achieves better care, smarter spending, and healthier people. These programs support incentives to providers, encourage improvements in care delivery, and deliver information to consumers.

At the heart of this vision, according to the CMS blog, are five core principles:

  • “Input from patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals will guide the programs.”
  • “Feedback and data drives rapid cycle quality improvement.”
  • “Public reporting provides meaningful, transparent, and actionable information.”
  • “Quality reporting programs rely on an aligned measure portfolio.”
  • “Quality reporting and value-based purchasing program policies are aligned.”

Go here for the CMS blog description of the effort and here to find the document CMS Physician Quality Reporting Programs Strategic Vision.