Patient-Reported Experience Measures Endorsed and Implementation Guide Now Available

The patient reported quality measures have been endorsed by the National Quality Forum and implementation guide created by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine has been approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.  

CHICAGO, Aug. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) is releasing the implementation guide for the Palliative Care Measures Project after three years of research and development. In addition, the Consensus Standards Approval Committee (CSAC) of the National Quality Forum voted to endorse the two measures as of August 1, pending a 30 days appeals period. AAHPM created two patient-reported outcome performance measures that will directly increase the quality of care received by patients. They were awarded a $5.5 million three-year cooperative agreement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) alongside the National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care and RAND Corporation.

AAHPM is passionate about research and developing new educational materials for palliative care and hospice professionals. The two approved "patient-reported outcome performance measures" or "PRO-PMs" which assess the quality of care are:

1. How much patients felt heard and understood, and
2. If patients got the help they wanted for their pain

"Providing high quality and patient centered care is one of the core values of the Academy," said Dr. Joe Rotella, MD, Chief Medical Officer of AAHPM. "Improving the quality of healthcare delivery to patients with serious illness and their caregivers is a priority of The Academy and we are so excited for the opportunities that will exist due to these new measures."

"AAHPM has put so much time into the development of these new measures and we are happy to share our work with physicians, nurses and other medical professionals," said Tara Friedman, MD FAAHPM, President of AAHPM. "These measures will directly impact the lives of so many and are a fantastic step for patient centered and focused care."

Results from the official public comment period held February 1 – March 2, 2021, from over 200 stakeholders (i.e., patients, caregivers, patient advocates, clinicians and other health care professionals) showed that clinicians were likely to use both measures – 83% stated they were very or somewhat likely to use the 'Feeling Heard and Understood' measure and 72% stated they were very or somewhat likely to use the 'Receiving Desired Help for Pain' measure.

The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) is the professional organization for physicians specializing in hospice and palliative medicine (HPM), as well as nurses, social workers, and other health and spiritual care practitioners committed to improving quality of life for seriously ill patients and their families. For more than 30 years, AAHPM has been dedicated to expanding access to high quality palliative care, and advancing the discipline of HPM, through professional education and training, development of a specialist workforce, support for clinical practice standards, research and public policy. AAHPM is governed by a 20-member Board of Directors and managed by a full-time staff along with additional, support provided by Association Management Center (AMC) based in Chicago, IL.

The National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care is an independent 501c3 organization comprised of the thirteen-leading national hospice and palliative care organizations dedicated to advancing care of patients and families living with serious and life-limiting illness by communicating, coordinating, and collaborating on issues and activities of importance to the interdisciplinary field. The Coalition is the home of the National Consensus Project's Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, an initiative which brought 17 national organizations together to establish and implement high quality palliative care guidelines in all settings.

The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, has a long history of quality measurement, including over three decades of developing, testing, and implementing quality measures (QMs) across a wide range of clinical care domains. RAND has collaborated on or developed 31 National Quality Forum-endorsed measures covering hospice and palliative care, geriatrics, cancer, medication management and medication safety, substance abuse, pediatric conditions, adverse events in hospital settings, and cultural competency. RAND's deep knowledge of quality measurement methods includes experience with CMS's Measures Management System Blueprint and developing tools to capture the patient's experience of care and patient-reported outcomes (e.g., Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and System [CAHPS] survey tools).

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, aiming to strengthen healthcare services and information available to beneficiaries and health care providers who serve them. The Palliative Care Measures Project was supported by CMS/HHS as part of a financial assistance award totaling $5.5 million with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

SOURCE American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine