Measure developers and other groups seeking advice request input from a diverse group of interested parties when undertaking quality measurement projects, especially when developing quality measures. This engagement helps them balance a variety of perspectives and interests and leads to better clinical outcomes. As a result, interested party engagement is a critically important task to support CMS’s aims to gather information about future measurement needs and to conduct its measurement activities transparently.

Section 101(f) of the Medicare Access and Children’s Health Insurance Plan Reauthorization Act requires that CMS solicit, accept, and respond to input from interested parties, for example, technical expert panels, persons and families, the public, health care specialty societies and organizations, point of care clinicians, and interested parties for episode groups (e.g., care episode groups, patient-condition groups). Interested parties need to be involved early and often throughout the Measure Lifecycle. These varying perspectives allow for more balance and transparency in the measure development and maintenance processes. Persons and families are extremely important interested parties in the quality measurement enterprise and CMS is committed to gathering their input during priorities planning and throughout the Measure Lifecycle. If you are interested in participating in measure development, visit the Get Involved section to learn about current opportunities. 

While the Interested Party Engagement section is primarily for CMS measure developers, non-CMS measure developers and those working on other types of quality measurement activities can benefit from this information and are encouraged to use our resources. 

Paperwork Reduction Act Guidance for CMS Measure Developers

There may be a requirement for CMS measure developers to prepare a Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) package. The Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (MACRA) exempted most measure development activities from PRA. However, all CMS measure developers should discuss this requirement with their Contracting Officer's Representative. CMS measure developers can find more information about PRA in the Blueprint Contractual Guidance and Considerations found on the Measure & Instrument Development and Support (MIDS) Library. The MIDS Library is a password-protected website restricted to CMS and CMS MIDS contractors.