MSPQI – creating quality improvement measurements that empower physicians

March 13, 2019

Physicians know the importance of clinically relevant data to improve the health care system and, more importantly patient care. However, it takes a lot of collaboration to find meaningful  measures that can be consistently collected to inform health care planning and patient care in BC.  The Measurement System for Physician Quality Improvement (MSPQI) is currently being developed to do just that. 

MSPQIThis work began in 2017 with the BC government, Doctors of BC and BC health authorities jointly creating a framework to develop MSPQI. This framework will help develop a system that reflects the needs of stakeholders while providing long-term value and direction for continued health care improvement. MSPQI’s goal is to identify continuous quality improvement opportunities for individual physicians and value for money to the system.

MSPQI is in the early stages of developing a measurement system for five specific medical service areas – Surgical/Procedural Care, Primary Care, Specialists/Specialized Care, Acute and Emergency Care, and Diagnostics. 

How

Quality Measures (QM) Groups that include physician and patients will recommend realistic quality measures in each of these medical service areas. MSPQI will not impact appropriate clinical decisions, and will not identify or manage the performance of individual physicians.

The measurement system will be founded on a clear, accepted and evidenced-based understanding of all levels of BC’s health care system. In addition, a Technical Working Group will identify the functional requirements and resources needed to build a virtual data environment, as well as help determine the appropriate privacy and security requirements to ensure data is secure and used as intended.

Each medical service area will have its own set of quality measures and will provide physicians, health system administrators and policy makers with the data needed to reach their mutual goals of ongoing quality improvement, better experiences for patients and health care providers, and a cost-effective health system. 

Work so far…and what’s coming up

Currently, Primary Care and Surgical Care have established QM Groups. They are working on an initial set of quality measures, which will likely include data collected by the Health Data Coalition for GPs. It will be several years before this work is fully realized, and like any quality improvement initiative – once fully implemented – it will be monitored to ensure continual effectiveness.

Doctors of BC is working with MSPQI to ensure information is shared as this work progress.  If you have any questions or concerns, e-mail us at:

Physician Qs and As

Q: What is the purpose of the Measurement System for Physician Quality Improvement?

The purpose is to provide physicians, health system administrators and policy makers with the quality measures data needed to reach their mutual goals of ongoing quality improvement, better experiences for patients and health care providers, and a cost-effective health system.   
The measurement system won’t be used to override appropriate clinical decisions or to manage the performance of individual physicians, and will use the highest standards of privacy and security.

Q: Who is involved in developing the measurement system?

The Government of BC, Doctors of BC and the province’s health authorities have partnered to work collaboratively with other health system stakeholders. Each group involved in the development of the measurement system, includes representation from the Ministry of Health, health authorities and Doctors of BC, except for the Secretariat, which is the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council. 

Q: Are any patients involved in planning the Measurement System for Physician Quality Improvement?

Yes, each of the five Quality Measures Groups, which will have 7 to 9 members total, will have a patient member to provide patient perspective. The project will aim to recruit patients with lived experience of the medical service area of each group. These patients will be recruited via Patients Voices Network and are described as “patient partners.”