Modern Healthcare reported that the American College of Physicians (ACP) studied physician performance measures created by Medicare's Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Findings indicated that just 37 percent of the 86 quality measures would improve the standard of care a patient received.

HSS chief value medical officer Catherine H. MacLean, MD, PhD, the study's lead author, said "I don't think anyone would argue that good measures that were driving health improvement are not worth the administrative costs, but when there are not good measures then it's frustrating, potentially harmful to patients and a waste of money."

Dr. MacLean noted that the ACP isn't calling for repealing or even freezing MIPS; the association wants the CMS to eliminate the problematic quality measures and find new measures that will help reach better health outcomes.

Read the full article at modernhealthcare.com [subscription required]. This article appeared in the April 23, 2018 print issue.

Additional Coverage:

• Fierce Healthcare: Doctors' groups ask CMS to cut MIPS reporting period for this year
• Medscape: Many MIPS Measures Not Valid, ACP Finds
• Patient Safety & Quality Healthcare: Study Questions Effectiveness of Performance Measures
• Physicians News Network: Study Casts Doubt on Validity of Costly Physician Performance Measures