Certified Health Care Homes
Performance Measurement

Prior to July 2023, the HCH benchmarking requirement was based primarily on the Statewide Quality Reporting and Measurement System (SQRMS) that clinics have been reporting to since 2010 as part of a legislative requirement. This alignment is a strength of the HCH benchmarking requirement, allowing for standardized measurement that can be used over time.

However, the frequency of data submission and the time required to validate and process the data for HCH benchmarking reporting tools results in data that is outdated. Reviewing outdated data with clinics does not facilitate meaningful conversations around quality improvement nor provide an understanding of the work happening in the organization. As a result, there is a missed opportunity to learn more about the context in which those outcomes exist at the clinic and the various factors that drive – or are barriers to - improvement. Organizational culture, the infrastructure of the care delivery system, and the factors that contribute to health in the patient population all have an impact on performance and is information that should be used in quality improvement plans.

The HCH program seeks to support clinics in using measures that they have identified as high priorities for them and their patient population.

At recertification, clinics will be required to use benchmarks to demonstrate accountability for outcomes in their patient population and engage in process improvement to impact those outcomes. Benchmarks are standardized measures used to assess or compare performance and identify improvement opportunities or performance gaps with the goal of improving quality, cost-effectiveness, and patient experience. Benchmarks can also be used to facilitate discussions among HCH teams and assist in applying best practices.

Benchmarking information may include data from sources such as the Minnesota Statewide Quality Reporting and Measurement System (SQRMS) quality measure set; the Uniform Data System (UDS) used by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) performance measures; and many others that clinics are using through their participation in alternative payment arrangements and to meet contractual obligations with health plans, for reporting to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS), and more.

The HCH program does not have authority to change standardized measure sets or a clinic’s reporting requirement on a standardized measure set. Changes to the HCH benchmarking requirement therefore do not include any changes to State reporting requirements.

The HCH recertification team meeting will facilitate sharing information about how your clinic/organization approaches performance measurement, prioritizes measures, and uses quality improvement to address outcomes.

The HCH recertification team meeting is led by the clinic/organization. Appendix E in COMPASS (PDF) has been revised to provide an outline or guide of how the health care home can approach this meeting and what elements MDH HCH staff are looking to be included in the presentation. MDH HCH staff will also access publicly available performance reports ahead of the team meeting to use as context and background.