Two New PQRS Measures Approved

Physician anesthesiologists can now choose from 36 reporting measures when participating in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Qualified Clinical Data Registry. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved two new Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) measures and 16 non-PQRS measures developed by ASA and its affiliated organization, Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI).

“The new measures empower physician anesthesiologists to report on measures that matter to their patients and their practices,” ASA President J.P. Abenstein, MD, said in a prepared statement. “In a health care world that is moving quickly toward quality-based payment, this is an important step for the Society to help its members and anesthesia professionals everywhere.”

With the new measures, physician anesthesiologists will be able to report on items such as patient temperature management before, during and after surgery, timely administration of antibiotics, completion of surgical safety checklists prior to anesthesia, and pain assessment and follow-up of the patient. 

Physician anesthesiologists who fail to satisfactorily report PQRS in 2015 will receive payment penalties of 2% in 2017 with an additional negative 2-4% Value-Based Payment Modifier (based upon practice size) assessed on their claims that year.