Medical practice leaders say they've had many problems reporting data for Medicare's Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), according to the Medical Group Management Association.
According to a study released by the MGMA, respondents said the process for accessing feedback reports is long and uneccesarily troublesome, and they're aren't satisifed with the outcome.
"Though MGMA and its members remain committed to supporting clinical quality improvement initiatives, data from this research shines a bright spotlight on the underlying administrative difficulties with this program," said MGMA President and CEO William F. Jessee, MD, FACMPE.
According to the MGMA, of the responding practices that attempted to participate in the 2008 PQRI, 48 percent successfully accessed their 2008 PQRI feedback report, a decline from the 51 percent that was able to retrieve their 2007 report. Sixty-seven percent were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the 2008 PQRI report’s effectiveness in providing guidance to improve patient care outcomes.
Practices also said it took too long to access the report, averaging nine hours by all practice staff and physicians to download the files; and 60 percent of those surveyed were unhappy with the presentation of the information.
"With the PQRI now in the fourth reporting year and Congress contemplating modifications to the program in healthcare reform legislation, MGMA strongly urges the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Congress to take note of our members' feedback and implement much needed improvements," Jessee said.
“Our members continue to express frustration over the unreasonable lag time between reporting PQRI data and receipt of the results," he added.
MGMA officials say they maintain their longstanding position that for the PQRI to improve patient care, it should provide timely and actionable clinical information to physicians.
Research was conducted in January, with feedback from 429 respondents representing 11,419 healthcare providers.