Measuring What Matters to Older Adults
Quality Measures for Person-Driven Care
For value-based care to be a success, it must deliver value to the people who need and receive care as well as health care leaders, such as policymakers, and payers.
When health plans and service providers commit to measuring what matters to their members, they create the best environment for care outcomes that are both value-based and person-centered. However, most quality indicators used to rate health care quality, measure items that matter to systems – not people.
Since 2011, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has worked to develop and test a new generation of quality measures for people with complex care needs; measures that elevate people’s priorities and person-centered care as the preeminent feature to assess health care value and payment.
This work is funded by The SCAN Foundation and The John A. Hartford Foundation.
Linking Health Care and Quality of Life
Measuring whether care helps people do what they want
When treating complex conditions, the health care system typically measures progress by counting processes and clinical outcomes. These kinds of measures alone don’t provide an understanding of how care is contributing to a person’s quality of life.
For example, measuring medication compliance could be problematic for an older adult who can’t get to the pharmacy. Similarly, adhering to a written care plan could be hard for a person who needs a translator to understand her doctor’s instructions.
That’s why national health care organizations are creating measurement systems that support the goals of people with complex health and social needs.
The 4 Essential Attributes of Better Care
The SCAN Foundation identified four Essential Attributes to guide efforts to transform care and develop quality measures that capture people’s goals, preferences, and desired outcomes.
Ultimately, the goal of high-quality care is for individuals to live their lives with services and supports that reflect their values and preferences in a setting that respects and supports their choices and decisions.
Learn more about the Essential Attributes.