Administrative Memos

200223

FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Dec 11, 2002
SUBJECT: Hospital Authorization For Vendor Transmission Of Data To QIO Clinical Warehouse
IPRO CONTACTS:

Marguerite Shaffer, R.N., Senior Director, Improvement Strategies, ext. 634
Charles Stimler, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director/ Clinical Coordinator, ext. 634
Jonathan Miller, Database Administrator, ext. 665

This fall, IPRO held a series of conference calls to discuss the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expectations for the 7th Scope of Work (SOW). Among the issues discussed was the transition to hospital-generated quality indicator data. At that time, IPRO informed hospitals that CMS was developing a system to eliminate redundancy in data submission by enabling vendors to forward JCAHO core indicator data directly to the QIO Clinical Warehouse via QualityNet Exchange without requiring a separate submission process from the hospital.

IPRO is pleased to report that a hospital may now authorize a JCAHO Performance Measurement System (PMS) who has met the CMS 7th SOW measurement specifications to transmit data to IPRO through QualityNet Exchange on their behalf. Please note that hospitals will still be able to transmit data directly into QualityNet Exchange, either through CART, or another compatible abstraction tool, if the hospital so chooses. The method for data transmission is an individual hospital decision. Please also recall that while CART can export data in both CMS and JCAHO compatible formats, JCAHO only accepts core measures from JCAHO certified PMS.

If your hospital decides that you wish to authorize a PMS/vendor to transmit data for you via QualityNet Exchange to IPRO, it will be necessary to provide IPRO with an authorization specifying the topic areas and the discharge dates for each topic that you wish to submit (since the 7th SOW began on August 1, 2002, this date can be used). Please find attached a "Hospital Authorization for Vendor Transmission" form that can be used for the purpose of such authorization. If you choose to utilize a PMS/vendor for data submission, please complete this form and return it to IPRO as soon as possible.

If you have any questions regarding this memo or concerning the data submission process, please feel free to contact Dr. Charles Stimler or Peggy Shaffer at (516) 326-7767, ext. 634.