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CHICAGO – Demand for health data from Qualified Clinical Data Registries (QCDRs) is increasing in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) to support value-based purchasing. In response, PCPI® through the National Quality Registry Network (NQRN®) has formed a new QCDR committee. Emily Richardson, MD, Encompass Medical Partners, and Lance Mueller, MS, Clinical Registry Project Manager, American Medical Association (AMA), will serve as co-chairs of the committee. Dr. Richardson also chairs the Anesthesia Quality Institute’s Practice Quality Improvement Committee.

QCDRs are CMS-approved entities that collect medical and/or clinical data for the purpose of patient and disease tracking to foster improvement in the quality of care provided to patients. The MACRA proposed rule expands the role of QCDRs in the new CMS Quality Payment Program (QPP).

The QCDR committee will support PCPI members and others operating and developing QCDRs, as well as those using QCDR information for QPP or private payer programs through:

• Monitoring the development of QCDR rules and guidance
• Informing and providing education on QCDRs
• Serving as the conference planning committee for a QCDR conference hosted by the AMA in 2017
• Contributing to discussion on QCDR-related topics in PCPI’s digital hub under development and other communication channels as appropriate

PCPI is a nonprofit membership-based organization focused on improving patient health and safety through the advancement of measurement science, quality improvement and clinical registries. PCPI supports member organizations interested in registries through the NQRN, an anchor program of the PCPI, established to increase the use and usefulness of registries to improve health and health care.

AMA is the nation’s largest physician organization. The AMA’s mission is to promote the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

Encompass Medical Partners, LLC is a medical management company that offers full-service solutions based on the specific needs of physician practices.