CDC and ACS partner for improvement program
Program aims to improve coordination
Three years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) each brought a proposal to the National Quality Forum (NQF) related to measuring surgical-site infections. Neither organization was aware of what the other was doing. It was eye-opening, and when the NQF suggested they work together to come up with a measure, they both jumped at the chance, says Bruce Lee Hall, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, a professor of surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, who headed up the efforts for the ACS.
So the two parties — ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) and the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Health Care Quality Promotion (DHQP) — sat down and familiarized each other with how each organization worked, their views on measuring surgical-site infections and how they gather and analyze data. They talked together about how the data were reported and, importantly, the CDC familiarized the ACS with working with more of an eye on the impact of what they do on regulations related to Medicare. "The relationship they had with [the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — CMS] and the government, and how they fit into ongoing programs and legislation and healthcare reform was very educational for us," says Hall.
The two surgeries mentioned in the measure — hysterectomies and colon operations — are intended to be used as the framework for measures in other surgical procedures. For now, NQF has approved the measures for the first two, and they apply to the current reporting period for CMS.
One of the reasons working together seemed like a good idea was that both organizations wanted to harmonize definitions and technical specifications so that there can be easy transfer of data between ACS and the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network. This is good news for hospitals and the people responsible for collecting and analyzing data: By working together, they can concentrate on how to minimize the data collection burden, Hall says. "We want to achieve the same thing as before, but we want to streamline it." He says the current data collection and reporting requirements are beyond burdensome and are approaching unbearable. "We see this as a way to improve the rigor of the information provided, but also reduce the work. You won't have to report this now to two different systems, or compile two different data sets. This is a shining example of two huge organizations investing time in this."
The CDC has expressed a desire to work with other organizations, beyond the ACS, although Hall says the two will continue to partner. Next up is the framework expansion and also participating with CDC in the Healthcare Infections Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC). This will provide more surgical input in that group moving forward.
The organizations have committed to working together for the next three years at least.
Three years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) each brought a proposal to the National Quality Forum (NQF) related to measuring surgical-site infections.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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