IRVING, Texas, January 12, 2022 – Today, Vizient, Inc. submitted comments to the National Quality Forum (NQF) regarding various health improvement measures under consideration by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Vizient expressed appreciation to NQF for its focus on health equity, among other recommended measures.
In its comments, Vizient shared recommendations to improve several contemplated health equity-related measures including Screening for Social Drivers of Health where we urged NQF to provide more detail and definitions before finalizing. Additionally, Vizient noted several points for NQF's consideration regarding the Hospital Disparity Index. Among other points, Vizient did not recommend the Hospital Disparity Index as currently written due to concerns around how the measure is calculated, which could ultimately mask true community needs.
Vizient also communicated concerns with supporting Connection to Community Service Providers (CSPs) and Resolution of At Least One Health-Related Social Need (HRSN) as drafted. While Vizient appreciated NQF's efforts to help address HRSNs, Vizient urged NQF not to approve these measures due to concerns around the significant burden these measure requirements would place on healthcare providers as resolving HRSNs is often beyond their locus of control.
"Vizient commends NQF for its work on these critical health equity-related efforts and ongoing commitment to improving outcomes for patients and providers," said Beth Godsey, senior vice president, Data Science and Methodology for Vizient and Measure Application Partnership's (MAP) Health Equity Advisory Group member. "Vizient looks forward to continuing to partner and share feedback to help improve measures that effectively address health disparities."
About Vizient, Inc.
Vizient, Inc., the nation's largest health care performance improvement company, serves more than 50% of the nation's acute care providers, which includes 97% of the nation's academic medical centers, and more than 20% of ambulatory care providers. Vizient provides expertise, analytics and advisory services, as well as a contract portfolio that represents more than $130 billion in annual purchasing volume. Vizient's solutions and services improve the delivery of high-value care by aligning cost, quality and market performance. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.