Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Special Statement: Clinical quality measures in obstetrics

Abstract

This article provides an updated overview and critique of clinical quality measures relevant to obstetrical care. The history of the quality movement in the USA and the proliferation of quality metrics over the past quarter century are reviewed. Common uses of quality measures are summarized: payment programs, accreditation, public reporting, and quality improvement projects. We present listings of metrics that are reported by physicians or hospitals, either voluntarily or by mandate, to government agencies, payers, “watchdog” ratings organizations, and other entities. The costs and other burdens of extracting data and reporting metrics are summarized. The potential for unintended adverse consequences of the use of quality metrics is discussed along with approaches to mitigating adverse consequences. Finally, some recent attempts to develop simplified core measure sets are presented, with the promise that the complex and burdensome quality-metric enterprise may improve in the near future.