Accelerating the Use of Patient-Reported Quality Measures in Value-Based Care

The Health Care Transformation Task Force developed Accelerating the Use of Patient-Reported Quality Measures in Value-Based Care, a resource which explores the benefits of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient-Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) (collectively called Patient-Reported Quality Measures (PRQMs)) in advancing effective value-based care. 

Assessing patients’ experiences of care and whether desirable patient outcomes are achieved are foundational to providing high-quality, person-centered care. However, tools for collecting these data in the form of PRQMs are not being used as widely in payment models as are clinical quality measures, and many implementation challenges exist. The Task Force believes that PRQM policies should focus on creating financial incentives to support organizations as they invest in developing, implementing, and collecting PRQM data for quality improvement efforts before tying PRQMs payment to performance. In addition to defining the value of these measures in transforming care delivery, this new resource lays out implementation challenges and offers recommendations for their use and potential impact on health equity strategies. 

Some practical steps for accelerating the use of PRQMs include:  

  • Supporting the infrastructure development necessary for successful implementation. 
  • Creating financial incentives in value-based payment models to support adoption of PRQMs prior to being paid based on how those measures are used. 
  • Designing VBP programs that include PRQMs as outcome measures. 
  • Training health care professionals and institutions on how to best administer the tools. 
  • Supporting research that informs how PRQMs can be used to improve patient-desired outcomes. 

The resource also includes appendices that provide information on federal policymaking support for PRQMs and list available PROMs and PREMs in the public domain. The Task Force is pleased to share this resource to support stakeholders in using PRQMs to a greater degree as the value transformation enterprise continues to evolve. 

View the Resource