Measuring Intensive Care Unit Performance after Sustainable Growth Rate Reform: An Example with the National Quality Forum Metrics

Abstract Background Performance measurement is essential for quality improvement and is inevitable in the shift to value-based payment. The National Quality Forum (NQF) is an important clearinghouse for national performance measures in health care in the United States. Aim We reviewed the NQF library of performance measures to highlight measures that are relevant to critical care medicine and we describe gaps and opportunities for the future of performance measurement in critical care medicine. Conclusion Crafting performance measures that address core aspects of critical care will be challenging as current outcome and performance measures have problems with validity. Future quality measures will likely focus on interdisciplinary measures across the continuum of patient care.