Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Patient Navigation for Health-Related Social Needs: Reflections From the Accountable Health Communities Model.

Background And Objectives: This paper uses data from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation's Accountable Health Communities (AHC) Model to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient navigation (PN) for health-related social needs.

Methods: We analyzed evaluation data from 28 organizations implementing the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation's AHC Model. We first distilled themes from 81 stakeholder interviews conducted in 2021.

Moving from Quality Measurement to Quality Improvement: Applying Meaningful Use Lessons to the Quality Payment Program.

Although the federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive program has ended, the need to effectively implement and use EHRs has not. The advent of the federal Quality Payment Program (QPP) has made effective use of EHRs more critical than ever, especially for clinical quality measurement and improvement. However, practices continue to face challenges in successfully implementing and using EHRs to achieve these aims.

Adapting Healthcare Quality Measures to Transgender Individuals.

The healthcare system's rapid shift toward value-based payment poses unique quality measurement challenges and new foci for researchers and policy makers. Quality measures that use sex-specific criteria may inappropriately include or exclude transgender individuals. More large-scale studies must be conducted to incorporate transgender individuals into measures that use sex-specific criteria, and "measure stewards" should consider the existing clinical guidelines and recommendations regarding transgender individuals when developing measures.