Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) Program

The Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program is a quality data reporting program implemented by the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services for outpatient hospital services. Under this program, hospitals report data using standardized measures of care to receive the full annual update to their Outpatient Prospective Payment System payment rate, effective for payments beginning in calendar year (CY) 2009. The Hospital Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program is modeled on the current quality data reporting program for inpatient services, the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program.

To meet Hospital Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting requirements and receive the full Annual Payment Update under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System, hospitals must meet administrative, data collection and submission, and data validation requirements. Hospitals must submit data for 15 quality measures: seven chart-abstracted measures for Acute Myocardial Infarction, Chest Pain, and Surgery; seven Imaging Efficiency Measures; and one Web-based Structural Measure. Participating hospitals agree that they will allow Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to publicly report data for the quality measures (as stated in the current Outpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule).
 

Key Resources

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Hospital Compare
• QualityNet Hospital News – Outpatient