ACCF/AHA New Insights Into the Methodology of Performance Measurement: A Report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Performance Measures

Since the publication of the initial American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) Methodology for the Selection and Creation of Performance Measures,1 there has been an explosion in the development and application of performance measures. Although initially envisioned as a means for physician-led quality-improvement efforts, performance measures have been primarily used as tools for accountability and performance-based reimbursement instead. Given the centrality of and experience with performance measures for quantifying healthcare quality, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF)/AHA Task Force on Performance Measures sought to update its methodology so that ongoing efforts to measure performance could benefit from emerging insights. The original methodology, proposed in 2005,1 remains the foundation for developing process performance measures. The 2010 report does not address detailed issues of analysis,3 pay for performance,4 or nonfinancial rewards for better performance5 because these topics have been addressed in other statements. The focus of the 2010 report is to provide a state-of-the-art perspective on the construction, collection, and emerging directions of performance measurement as a means to improve healthcare quality. (November 8, 2010)