EHR Pilot Evaluation with MAeHC

What We Did:

MHQP led the design and development of the clinical quality measurement process for a pilot project designed to evaluate the impact of health information technology, specifically the effects of implementing electronic health records (EHRs), on the quality of health care delivery.  The pilot was executed in three Massachusetts communities – Brockton, Greater Newburyport and Greater North Adams.  MHQP’s role included selection of appropriate quality measures, measure specifications, identification of necessary data elements, report design, testing and validation and training of participating providers.

Who Was Involved:

The project was a partnership with the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative (MAeHC) and the Computer Science Corporation (technology partner).

Why This Work Matters:

This project was an important component of a broader effort to advance healthcare quality and transparency by promoting health information technology and tie early EHRs to the collection of quality metrics.  MAeHC sought to draw lessons from this pilot project to inform operational and financing models to foster and sustain statewide adoption and continued use of EHR technologies and capabilities. The goal was to produce and distribute EHR clinical performance feedback reports to participating providers to help them benchmark their performance and identify clinical areas for improvement.