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MNCM has numerous reports and a second, consumer-focused website with online resources available. For conference attendees who would like more information about seminar themes and topics, we compiled this section with helpful reference materials.

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Available Reports

MNCM produces numerous reports that are available to the public, free of charge. Our emphasis is on providing comparative data and analysis, and in sharing recommendations to improve performance and care delivery. Some reports, such as the Health Care Quality Report, the Health Care Disparities Report, and the Health Equity of Care Report, are produced annually. Other reports have been produced as a result of specific partnerships or projects, including the AF4Q Consumer Engagement Workgroup Report, the Advancing Primary Care: Minnesota Practice Assessment Results Report, and 2008 Health Information Technology Report.

Health Care Quality Report

MN Community Measurement’s annual health care quality report features comparative data on medical group and clinic level performance on key measures, plus statewide results. It details measurement specifications, data sources and data collection methods.

Health Equity of Care Report

The inaugural Health Equity of Care Report: Stratification of Health Care Performance Results in Minnesota by Race, Hispanic Ethnicity, Preferred Language and Country of Origin presents data collected by medical groups using best practices and shines the spotlight on areas for improvement that exist in Minnesota.

The report features information on health care outcomes in five areas: Optimal Diabetes Care; Optimal Vascular Care; Optimal Asthma Care for Adults; Optimal Asthma Care for Children; and Colorectal Cancer Screening. Results for these measures are stratified by race, Hispanic ethnicity, preferred language and country of origin (REL) and reported at statewide and regional levels.

Health Care Disparities Report

MN Community Measurement’s annual disparities report presents statewide and medical group rates of performance on ten quality measures for patients in Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP). It also includes differences in rates of care provided by medical groups between patients insured through MHCP and those insured through other forms of health care insurance, such as commercial or Medicare-managed care.

AF4Q Consumer Engagement Workgroup Report

Under the auspices of the Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative, a Consumer Engagement Workgroup was formed in 2006 and charged with engaging consumers to access and utilize quality information as a way to further engage with their doctor and more fully participate in their care. This report chronicles the efforts and learnings of the Minnesota AF4Q Consumer Engagement Workgroup and offers an action agenda for other communities wishing to replicate their efforts.

AF4Q Report to the Minnesota CommunityMNCM_AF4QReport_300x250_1B

Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s signature effort to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities, reduce racial and ethnic disparities and provide models for national reform. Led by MNCM and guided by a broad stakeholder group, Minnesota was an ideal partner for Aligning Forces for Quality. Through AF4Q, MNCM has served as a national model for quality measurement. Over the last eight years, AF4Q communities have built transformative partnerships, often where none existed before.

Advancing Primary Care: Minnesota Practice Assessment Results Report

(Prepared by the Center for Health Care Strategies)

Research is scant on the ability and capacity of “high-value” physician practices – those serving a high proportion of Medicaid patients or a high volume of racially and ethnically diverse populations – to undertake practice transformation. Understanding how high-value practices currently perform on elements related to advanced primary care models can enable communities to better target ambulatory quality improvement efforts and improve care delivery.

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), a national health policy organization, conducted a survey of over 175 primary care practices in seven communities around the country, including Minnesota, with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative. Designed to identify regional and national trends in practice capacity, the survey results are intended to help participating communities to:

  • Better understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement for a key segment of their provider market
  • Begin to assess what type of education, training, and support these high-value practices might need
  • Start to design interventions in partnership with state Medicaid agencies to assist practices that are facing significant challenges in meeting performance targets

Additional Resources

In addition to reports, our tools and resources are central to how MNCM helps providers and other health care professionals deliver high quality care to their patients. Visit the Provider Tools and Resources section to view tools and resources selected to encourage safe, efficient, and effective patient care, and to provide a general overview of comparative data and performance reporting.

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Online Resources

MNHealthScores ratings and resourcesMNCM_HlthScr_WebBannerAd_FNL_300x250

MNHealthScores.org is brought to you by MN Community Measurement where you can find unbiased, trustworthy information on the quality of medical clinics; the experience you can expect to have as a patient; and the general cost you’ll have to pay. You can find out how well patients were cared for and their experience at more than 1,400 clinics, 535 medical groups and 140 hospitals in Minnesota and neighboring communities. You can learn the costs of various procedures and which medical groups are the most careful with your health care dollars.

Most importantly, you can use the information to make smarter choices about your medical care. It will help you:

  • Compare and choose clinics based on quality, patient experience and cost ratings. You can search for clinics, medical groups and hospitals by name, location or see them all.
  • Understand the care you should expect to receive and what questions to ask your doctor. Patient resources on health topics such as diabetes, depression and asthma will support you in being an engaged patient and developing a positive doctor-patient relationship.
  • Learn how to save money on your care. Review the average monthly cost of care at medical groups around Minnesota, as well as the average cost for more than 100 common procedures – such as colonoscopies, x-rays and lab tests – to find which medical groups provide the highest value for you. Plus, get tips on how to reduce your overall health care costs.

For a complete list of measures and procedure costs reported on the site, please review our MNHealthScores Quick Reference.

The D5 for DiabetesMNCM_D5_Logo_300x250

The D5 is a set of five treatment goals that, when reached together, represent the gold standard for managing diabetes. D5 resources were created by MNCM to make it easier for people with diabetes to work with their health care provider and set and achieve goals to better manage the disease. When a person achieves D5 success, he or she reduces their risk for complications such as heart attack, stroke and problems with their kidneys, eyes and nervous system.

The five goals of The D5:

  1. Control blood pressure
  2. Lower bad cholesterol
  3. Maintain blood sugar
  4. Be tobacco-free
  5. Take aspirin as recommended

Reaching all five goals greatly lowers the risk for the health problems associated with diabetes. The D5 encourages people with diabetesto learn about the five goals and work with their health care team to reach them. Visit MNHealthScores.org to learn more about quality care for diabetes in Minnesota.

The V4 for Vascular HealthMNCM_V4_Logo_300x250

The V4 is a set of four treatment goals that, when reached together, represent the gold standard for managing vascular disease. V4 resources were created by MNCM to make it easier for people with diabetes to work with their health care provider and set and achieve goals to better manage the disease. When a person achieves V4 success, they reduce their risk for complications such as heart attack, stroke and problems with their kidneys, eyes and nervous system.

The four goals of The V4:

  1. Control blood pressure
  2. Lower bad cholesterol
  3. Be tobacco-free
  4. Take aspirin as recommended

Reaching all four goals greatly lowers the risk for the health problems associated with vascular disease. The V4 encourages people with vascular disease learn about the four goals and work with their health care team to reach them. Visit MNHealthScores.org to learn more about quality care for vascular disease in Minnesota.

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Provider Tools and Resources

Our tools and resources for providers and health professionals are developed to complement the categories of data that we report. While some tools are specific to individual measures, other resources incorporate materials and information for both health care providers and patients. From links to measure-specific tools to a provider- and patient-friendly depression toolkit, MNCM is dedicated to connecting you with resources that support performance, practice, and reporting.

We create and share provider tools and resources with several goals in mind:

  • Improve care delivery practices based on current guidelines
  • Share materials and information that help patients and providers manage care and treatment goals
  • Facilitate opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and consumers
  • Build a working knowledge of provider performance, reported measures, the measure development process, and data collection

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are a part of a broad strategy to engage patients and their families to improve their own care. Research suggests that patients who are engaged in their care tend to have better results. Collecting feedback from patients about their treatment outcomes, experience, or satisfaction with their care can be a way to help patients feel more engaged. It provides insights into care quality and which outcomes are highly valued by patients.

The National Quality Forum reports that two critical steps for PROMs are for providers and medical groups to engage patients by developing the ability to routinely capture patient-reported outcomes, and then to use these data to contribute to performance measures that evaluate quality and efficiency. We encourage you to learn more about patient-reported outcomes in performance measurement by visiting the NQF website or by downloading their report about PROs in Performance Measurement.

Below, you can find lists of the tools and resources for the five MNCM performance measures that use patient-reported outcomes. Registered users can access additional PROM data collection guides, resources and documents in the MNCM Data Portal.

Asthma

Asthma tools

Depression

Depression patient assessment tools

The PHQ-9 in Practice
For more information about using the PHQ-9 in health care provider practices, refer to the Depression Clinical Work Flow Guide, made available courtesy of the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI).

Patient experience

Improving patient experience

Let's Talk report cover

View Let’s Talk: A guide for transforming the patient experience through improved communication. Many healthcare organizations in Minnesota are working on improvements in “the Triple Aim,” which includes setting goals in three areas: Improvements in population health; reducing or controlling health care costs, and enhancing a patient’s experience and interactions when being cared for by a healthcare provider.

How does the topic of this guide, improved communication, fit into these goal areas? Good communication with patients and their families gives them access to information as well as providing the skills and tools needed for self-management. These enriching interactions and experiences with providers and the healthcare system, ultimately advances their health and improves health outcomes. Helping patients and families self-manage their conditions is an idea whose time has come. This concept is one of the six aims mentioned in the 2001 Institute of Medicine’s Crossing the Quality Chasm report and is central to certification as a patient-centered medical home in Minnesota.

Spine surgery

Functional status tools

Total knee replacement

Functional status tools

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Quality improvement resources

Breast Cancer Screening

Provider Resources from the American Cancer Society

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Provider Resources from the American Cancer Society

  • FOBT Clinician’s Reference – State-of-the-science information about guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) and fecal immunochemical tests (FIT)
  • Colon Screening Action Plan – Information for implementing a primary care clinician’s evidence-based toolbox and guide
  • Office Policy Worksheet – What is everyone’s role at the office with increasing colon cancer screening rates?

Depression Materials for Patients and Healthcare Providers

Help and Healing Toolkit

Help and Healing is an online toolkit that gives providers evidence-based treatment guidance and easy-to-use resources to assist in depression recovery. The goal of Help and Healing is to help people who have depression get better, faster by fostering collaboration between patients and providers.

The toolkit includes patient and provider talking points, treatment planning, self-management techniques, and information to help providers measure treatment outcomes.

Help and Healing can be accessed online by patients or health care providers at MN HealthScores.

Tobacco Cessation

Spotlight on TobaccoSnapped cigarette

Tobacco use is still a problem in Minnesota. That’s why ClearWay MinnesotaSM and MN Community Measurement have partnered to develop a new collection of information and resources to better understand and address tobacco use in Minnesota. Health care teams can use the materials to help more patients quit tobacco.

New MN Community Measurement analyses for ClearWay Minnesota offer fresh insights into the burden of tobacco use for people with certain chronic diseases, including:

  • There are more Minnesota adults with diabetes using tobacco (28,700 people) than there are people in the city of Winona.
  • Approximately 13,000 adult Minnesotans who have ischemic vascular disease are also tobacco users.  That number equals the entire population of Bemidji.

Health care providers are still a key part of the solution. Review the materials at MNCM’s “Spotlight on Tobacco” to get tips and tools on helping patients quit tobacco.

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Performance and Measurement

Evaluation of Benefits and Burdens of Medical Group Performance Reporting

Acknowledging the tremendous effort providers put forth to meet requirements  associated with data submission, this initiative strived to uncover the causes of  data collection burden and document the benefits to health care providers who  participate in health care measurement and reporting programs. Deliverables included: A literature review & analysis on provider burden; key informant interviews & summary report; a 8-12 page white paper of findings and recommendations; a measurement brief – depression measures and a measurement brief – provider benefits and burdens

Measures Testing Lab

MNCM developed an online platform to efficiently test newly developed quality  measures. The Measures Lab will facilitate testing the feasibility, reliability and  validity of new measures before submitting them for endorsement or inclusion into  federal programs or to support quality improvement efforts.

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