Meaningful Measures 2.0: Moving from Measure Reduction to Modernization

Meaningful Measures 2.0: Moving to Measure Prioritization and Modernization

Meaningful Measures Initiative:

CMS continues to build upon the Meaningful Measures with the Meaningful Measures 2.0 and the Cascade of Meaningful Measures framework in the context of the CMS National Quality Strategy. When first introduced in 2017, the Meaningful Measures’ objective was to reduce the number of Medicare quality measures and ease the burden on measured entities. The launch of the Meaningful Measures initiative has reduced the number of Medicare quality measures by 18 percent, saving more than 3 million hours of time and a projected $128 million.

The Meaningful Measures initiative made considerable progress and its scope and purpose have evolved to keep pace with a rapidly changing healthcare environment. The initiative has evolved into a new phase referred to as Meaningful Measures 2.0, CMS will not only continue to reduce the number of measures in its programs but will further shape the entire ecosystem of quality measures that drives value-based care. Meaningful Measures 2.0 promotes innovation and modernization of all aspects of quality, addressing a wide variety of settings, interested parties, and measurement requirements.

The CMS National Quality Strategy provides an overarching, strategic plan that brings together initiatives and frameworks across the agency to ensure harmony and alignment across CMS quality efforts. Meaningful Measures 2.0 is a key initiative that addresses several of the Strategy’s priority areas and goals.

Meaningful Measures 2.0

In addition to the framework, Meaningful Measures 2.0 supports five interrelated goals to help prioritize and modernize the measures used by CMS Programs. Click each goal for more details. 

• Improve quality measure efficiency by transitioning to digital measures and using advanced data analytics.

Priorities & Measure Gaps

Meaningful Measures 2.0 addresses measurement gaps, reduces burden, and increases efficiency by:

• Using only high-value quality measures impacting key quality domains.
• Aligning measures across value-based programs and across partners, including CMS, federal, and private entities.
• Prioritizing outcome and patient-reported measures.
• Transforming measures to be fully digital and incorporating all-payer data.
• Developing and implementing measures reflecting social drivers/determinants of health (SDOH).

Digital Quality Measurement

Meaningful Measures 2.0prioritizes digital quality measures, which originate from health information captured and transmitted electronically via interoperable systems. CMS continues to improve our digital strategy by

• Using FHIR-based standards to exchange clinical information through APIs, allowing clinicians to digitally submit quality information one time which can be used in many ways.
• Accelerating the transition to fully electronic measures.
• Working across CMS to use artificial intelligence to identify quality problems and intervene before harm comes to patients.
• Developing more APIs for quality measure data submission and interoperability.
• Harmonizing measures across registries.

Person-Centered Care

Meaningful Measures 2.0 promotes better collection and integration of individuals voices across CMS programs by:

• Simplifying how to use person-reported outcome performance measures (PRO-PMs) and integrating them into the electronic health record workflow.
• Developing PRO-PMs and embedding into the workflow, allowing access through an API or patient portal, improving ease of use, and reducing reporting burden.
• Using National Institutes of Health-developed Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System® (PROMIS®) tools.
• Working across CMS to use “Self-Reported Health” as an agency-wide key result that reflects the patient’s voice around quality of care.

Cascade of Meaningful Measures:

The Cascade of Meaningful Measures is a tool to help prioritize existing health care quality measures, align or reduce measures where there are too many, and identify gaps where new measures may need to be developed. The tool starts by utilizing the eight health care priorities of the Meaningful Measures 2.0 Framework. The Cascade of Meaningful Measures describes, in increased detail of the components of the health care system that are being measured. It moves from the eight Meaningful Measures health care priorities to goals and objectives. For more information, check out the Cascade of Meaningful Measures website.

Next Steps

Meaningful Measures 2.0 will continue evolving with your help. Email your comments to meaningfulmeasuresqa@cms.hhs.gov.

Not sure where to start? Consider these questions:

• Are there gaps in the updated Meaningful Measures Initiative?
• Are there barriers or challenges to implementing the proposed changes and goals?
• Should Meaningful Measures 2.0 address the COVID-19 pandemic? If so, what should we incorporate and how should we do it?

Downloads

• 2020 CMS Quality Conference: The Future of Quality Measurement, 2020 and Beyond —  February 2020 (PPTX)
• 2021 CMS Quality Conference: CMS Quality Measurement Action Plan – March 2021 (PDF)