The National Quality Forum (NQF) is seeking input on 14 quality measures for home- and community-based services (HCBS). These measures are a subset of the National Core Indicators for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities HCBS Measures.

The measures, and the assessment of them by the NQF’s Patient Experience and Function Standing Committee, can be reviewed in the committee’s draft report. Comments may be submitted through the NQF website (requires registration) until Friday, September 17 at 6:00 PM ET. Any aspect of the report can be commented on including the scope of the measures, the quality of the measure development process, the importance of the measures, their utility in HCBS programs, etc. 

Why this is important: Development of standardized measures of quality for HCBS has lagged behind development of similar measures for health care. That has hamstrung efforts to assess and improve the quality (and consistency of quality across states) of the services that make community living possible.

NQF endorsement is an independent validation of a measure of quality. It reflects scientific and evidence-based review, input from consumers and their families, and the perspectives of people throughout the health care and HCBS industries. That’s why input from the aging and disability networks, and of older adults and people with disabilities is so important.

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