The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) consistently strives to enhance the quality of healthcare and improve patient outcomes. With the changing Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) 2025 annual reporting requirements, it’s essential for healthcare professionals, providers and administrators to stay updated on the latest developments to enhance quality care and patient outcomes.  Here, DataGen’s Mandi Diamond, senior practice transformation advisor, covers the three biggest changes you need to know about for next year's annual PCMH reporting related to quality improvement worksheets, the importance of diverse patient examples in care management plans and enhanced communication protocols.    Let’s dive into the most important PCMH reporting requirement changes.   1. Re-introduction of the mini quality improvement worksheet  One significant update is the re-introduction of the mini quality improvement (QI) worksheet, which was used a few years ba...

Compliance with Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data submissions is crucial for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. With Q2 deadlines quickly approaching, facilities could face submission penalty accumulation as they meet delinquency conditions for both Q4 2023 and Q1 2024.  This blog covers the most recent compliance dates and details what to keep track of to avoid penalties and ensure timely, accurate data submissions.  Key compliance dates for SPARCS data  By adhering to these guidelines and keeping track of critical dates, your facility can maintain compliance and avoid unnecessary complications.    June 15  Third warning for Q4 2023 data   Facilities received a third warning if their Q4 2023 SPARCS data were non-compliant. This was the last opportunity to resolve any data errors before a formal Statement of Deficiency (SOD) audit was performed on July 15, 2024.  June 30  Submission deadline for Q1 ...

Community Health Assessments (CHAs) are vital for pinpointing community health needs. Enhancing CHAs with greater collaboration, stakeholder engagement and innovation significantly boosts their effectiveness and impact. The biennial CHA process utilizes primary and secondary data to identify priority issues, which assists in developing the Community Health Implementation Plan (CHIP).   1. Engage diverse stakeholders  Inclusive partnerships are essential for addressing health needs effectively by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including community-based organizations, healthcare providers and policymakers. By involving diverse groups, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of health needs and ensure strong support for health initiatives.   The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) emphasizes that engaging a variety of stakeholders is crucial for gathering diverse insights and securing backing for these initiatives.   B...

Include integral data in your Community Health Needs Assessment examples  Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) examples tend to focus on case studies. However, using integral data for your CHNA can provide overall guidance, making it easier to start and complete your final report. In this Q&A, DataGen’s Melissa Bauer, principal healthcare informatics analyst, explains why using data in the CHNA is key and what types of data you should collect.   Q1: What is CHNA data?   A CHNA requires two types of data: primary and secondary. Using these two data streams, organizations can better characterize the community's health. This helps the organization conducting the CHNA best understand their community needs. It also informs them on the best ways to respond to them, providing guidance on where to start and how to evaluate impact and outcomes. Here’s a further explanation of the data found in a CHNA:  Primary data includes community surveys, focus groups, in-dep...

In recent years, healthcare market disrupters have increased their activity and deepened their presence. While not all disrupters are negative, healthcare market analysis significantly changes healthcare operations. Understanding disrupters' prime targets, service strengths, technology integration and local market dynamics is crucial. Leveraging healthcare market data and hospital market share analysis is essential for identifying competitive threats and opportunities and allows healthcare organizations to adapt and thrive amidst these disruptions. Actionable Data for Targeted Results With access to healthcare market analysis and advanced forecasting capabilities, healthcare organizations can make better-informed decisions with previous trends and outcomes. Here’s how data-driven insights can be leveraged to improve efficiency, enhance patient care and optimize resource allocation. Identify Growth Opportunities: Spot potential merger opportunities and understand outmigration to su...

Key CMMI updates to the EOM  The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) released exciting updates to the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) along with a new opportunity for a second cohort of participants.   The EOM aims to enhance the quality of care for cancer patients while reducing costs under the Medicare fee-for-service program. The updates come on the heels of lower-than-expected model participation .   This blog will discuss key EOM updates, application details, eligibility requirements and important deadlines.  New cohort opportunity  Request for applications: CMS issued an RFA to recruit a second cohort of participants and payers for the EOM.  Timeline:  Second cohort start date: July 1, 2025  Second cohort end date: June 30, 2030  Initial performance period start date: July 1, 2023  Model test end date for all participants: June 30, 2030 (extended from June 30, 2028)  Notable changes to the EOM model...