Practice Metrics Committee

Purpose

AASLD is committed to developing quality measures and other metrics help its members measure or quantify healthcare processes and outcomes that are associated with the ability to provide high-quality health care. The Practice Metrics Committee will develop new and revise existing quality outcome measures for hepatology and provide oversight and coordination among all programs within the AASLD and other related societies.

Tasks

The Committee Will:

Initially develop an overall plan for the scope of their activities. These should include:

• Raise awareness within AASLD of patient safety and quality improvement issues. 
• Provide input to prioritize the development of guidelines and performance measures used to assess and improve the quality of care for hepatology patients. 
• Develop performance measures that:
  • serve as a mechanism to evaluate quality and cost-of-care performance.
  • provide an objective assessment of how well and how appropriately health care is delivered compared to recognized standards.
• Developing hepatology-specific performance measures in response to CMS’ value-based purchasing initiatives such as the Physicians Quality Reporting System, the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier, and the and the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting program.
• Committee members shall serve as AASLD representatives to major national organizations involved in quality improvement such as the National Quality Forum (NQF), the NQF-convened Measures Application Partnership (MAP), the AMA Physicians Consortium for Performance Improvement and the AQA Alliance.
• Makes recommendations regarding endorsement of GI and Hepatology quality measures that are clinically meaningful and relevant to hepatologists and others who care for liver disease patients.
• Actively coordinate with other committees of AASLD, and with members of other relevant specialty societies, on issues pertaining to patient safety and quality improvement.

The Chair Will:

• Prepare an annual written report for the AASLD Governing Board updating the demographic composition of the AASLD membership, the relative change among diverse member categories and the representation of diverse members participating in AASLD committees and other leadership roles.
• Submit, for approval, an annual budget and work plan.
• Make policy recommendations to the Governing Board.

Size, Term, Composition

• 8 members plus a chair (total 9) serving staggered three year terms.
• When possible, members of the committee should be familiar with clinical operations and principles of quality.

Appointment

• Committee members will be selected by the AASLD President, with the advice of nominations committee and consent of the Governing Board.  Special ad hoc members may be assigned with approval of the AASLD President.
• The chair should be appointed by the AASLD President with the advice of the Nominating Committee and Governing Board.

Governing Board Liaison

A Board liaison may be appointed for the purpose of sharing information between committee members, the Governing Board and AASLD staff.

Reports To

The committee reports to the Governing Board. Written reports are submitted for each Governing Board meeting.

Committee Members