Medicare releases ASC quality data

Editor's Note

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on May 4 released comprehensive ambulatory surgery center (ASC) quality data reports compiled through its Ambulatory Surgery Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) program.

Among the data reported are:

• Quality data code-based measures, such as wrong site, side, patient, procedure, implant
• Safe surgery checklist use
• Endoscopy/polyp surveillance measures.

Publication of ASCQR program measures allows consumers to find and compare the quality of care given at ASCs, CMS says.

The Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR) Program is a quality measure data reporting program implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for care provided in the ASC setting. The ASCQR Program supports the National Quality Strategy goals of better care, healthy people/healthy communities, and smarter spending for Medicare beneficiaries through data reporting, quality improvement, and measure alignment with other clinical care settings.