STATLINE

Read the Latest Issue of STATLINE

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the Pathologists Quality Registry as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR), making it an invaluable reporting option for pathologists with fulfilling reporting requirements under Medicare's Quality Payment Program (QPP). The Pathologists Quality Registry is the first pathologist-specific clinical data registry designed by pathologists to earn QCDR status from the CMS.

As a CMS-approved QCDR, the Pathologists Quality Registry will collect medical quality data from a pathologist or pathology group practice for physician quality reporting under QPP. The registry will send data directly to the CMS to track quality and foster improvement in patient care. This will also ease the reporting burden for pathologists and improve opportunities to increase Medicare reimbursements through the Medicare QPP. Getting QCDR status from the CMS is a strong indicator that the Pathologists Quality Registry will continue to meet QPP reporting requirements in the future.

The Pathologists Quality Registry is set to launch at CAP17, the CAP's annual meeting, so that CAP members can begin submitting 2018 data on January 1, 2018. The registry also provides access to quarterly benchmarking reports that enable practices to improve care provided to patients. The registry will include 14 measures; eight of which are the current Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) measures, developed by the CAP.

"The designation by the CMS of the Pathologists Quality Registry as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry is a significant achievement for CAP members, our patients, and the pathology specialty. Our registry will allow pathologists to report directly to the CMS on current and future pathology-specific measures, thus fulfilling CMS reporting requirements while closely tracking the quality of their practices," said CAP President Richard C. Friedberg, MD, PhD, FCAP.

The CAP is working with FIGmd, the leading provider of clinical data registries to specialty societies, in developing the Pathologists Quality Registry. Designed specifically for the practice of pathology, this registry will ensure pathologists have a mechanism for quality improvement against the CAP established standards, while complying with requirements under the Medicare QPP.