Quick links:
1. MSQC answers to Frequently Asked Questions
2. Resources to assist during and after the pandemic
Friends,
The MSQC Coordinating Center team is working remotely for the foreseeable future. We expect to continue business as usual, and will work to minimize any impact on the level of support we offer our sites.
We know that many of our sites are focused on addressing the current COVID-19 situation at your hospitals, and we want to support you in those efforts.
MSQC is working with BCBSM to ensure flexibility regarding all requirements related to data abstraction, volume, quality improvement initiatives, and P4P scoring, etc.
Please see the following important updates from BCBSM:
In short: MSQC hospitals will not be penalized for circumstances outside of their control.
We do appreciate your continued efforts to assist your hospital and attend to your MSQC responsibilities.
The MSQC Coordinating Center Team
Frequently Asked Questions
What do we need to do if our SCQR(s) have been reassigned to assist with the COVID-19 crisis?
Hospitals will not be penalized in any way due to data abstractor reassignment or furlough from March 13 through May 31, 2020. Another period of leniency for hospitals with a surge of COVID-19 patients is available from November 18 through the end of January, 2021. If your site has a continued need past January 2021, you will need to request an extension with the coordinating center. Please see the November 18 communication for full details. BCBSM will reassess whether further extensions are needed and we will communicate to you as required.
If your hospital needs to reassign its SCQR(s), please complete the brief attestation [updated November 18th] identifying the SCQR, the dates of the reassignment, and COVID bed occupancy, and send your completed form to MSQCCustomerSupport@med.umich.edu. BCBSM will work with MSQC to determine approval.
Will we be penalized for the drop in surgery volume due to cancelled elective surgeries?
For the first surge of COVID patients from March 13 through May 31, 2020, no. BCBSM will not reduce hospitals’ data abstraction funding for volume lags or quality initiate work caused by the COVID pandemic. Please see this document for the approved modifications made to P4P and volume during this time period.
For the second surge in November 2020, BCBSM will work with MSQC to determine whether modifications are needed to data abstraction models and P4P indexes to account for disruptions in data abstraction and quality initiative work due to this pandemic.
Will MSQC allow any flexibility over data abstraction, such as completing cases after the lock date?
BCBSM has asked CQIs to ensure that during this period, all data abstracted for the registry meets the usual data quality standards for timeliness, completeness, and accuracy. However, if you are running into data abstraction issues due to redeployment or other COVID-related reasons, please get in touch to discuss with us and we will be as flexible as we can.
How do I collect 30-day follow up if I am working from home?
MSQC encourages you to be flexible and creative when attempting to contact patients for follow-up during this period.
Our automated PRO email surveys are already the most efficient way to obtain follow up. Enter the necessary data elements into the workstation as early as possible to ensure that your emails go out early.
We know many SCQRs are using their personal phones to call patients, but allowing patients to access your personal phone number can be concerning. Some SCQRs find that withholding Caller-ID and leaving a message is an effective method around this concern.
Note: your hospital may have options for you to access your desk phone remotely or have some other remote communication solution available to you. We highly recommend you talk to your IT/Telecoms support to see what is available to you when working remotely.
Be sure to document your efforts in the follow-up comments field in the workstation.
How should we focus our quality improvement efforts?
Except in extreme cases, sites should not suspend their quality improvement activities. In partnership with BCBSM, MSQC will be monitoring and reassessing the 2020 QII goals, timelines and processes as the situation continues to evolve.
We encourage teams to be creative and flexible and utilize any resources available to initiate and/or continue QI communications.
Our best advice right now is to:
- Continue to do what you can, such as work on abstraction and contacting patients by letter, email and phone for follow-up
- Don’t be afraid to be creative, think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to problem-solving anticipated barriers
- Utilize all resources at your disposal for communication with your team AND your patients, not just the routine methods.
Will MSQC cancel the collaborative meetings scheduled for this year?
Our 2020 meetings have moved to the virtual format. We anticipate that the meetings for the first part of 2021 will be virtual as well. The December 4, 2020 meeting information is available here.
Anything else we can do to assist?
MSQC is proud to partner with HMS (Michigan Hospital Medical Safety Consortium) in a joint CQI venture across numerous BCBSM Quality Collaboratives. The MI-COVID 19 initiative is a registry focused on patients with COVID19 in Michigan hospitals in direct response to the global pandemic. Please find more information on this important work here.
If you have any questions contact the Mi-COVID19 Leadership Team directly at MI-COVID19@umich.edu.
We have asked sites to provide us with full operative logs from January 2020 onwards, so that we can understand the impact of cancelled elective cases and inform planning for later ramp up. Full details here. This project has completed for the year, but let us know if you have any questions.
Other COVID-19-related data initiatives are being explored and will be communicated as appropriate.
Still have questions?
At this time we encourage inquiries by email rather than phone so we can route your inquiry appropriately. If your issue is best discussed on the phone, let us know and someone will call you back.
Data abstraction questions and inquiries: MSQC-Info@med.umich.edu
General questions and inquiries: MSQCCustomerSupport@med.umich.edu
We will review and update this FAQ page as necessary.
COVID-19 Resources
MSQC is compiling a set of best-practice resources intended to be of use to MSQC hospitals during and after the pandemic.
MVC Resource Utilization Report
Due to COVID-19, hospital systems have had to reduce elective surgeries. The Michigan Value Collaborative (MVC) used MSQC and MVC data to prepare metrics on resource utilization for 17 common elective procedures to guide hospitals’ surgical ramp-up efforts as the first wave of this pandemic subsides.
https://michiganvalue.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02Resource-utilization2.pdf
COVID Staffing Projections Toolkit
A modular toolkit to guide hospitals of all sizes in understanding the skills of their staff, projecting need for specific staffing skills, and proactively redeploying their staff as patient volume and staff availability evolve during the COVID-19 pandemic. http://www.covidstaffing.org/
Michigan Critical Care Collaborative Network (MCCCN)
The MCCCN is a statewide collaboration formed to link healthcare professionals managing COVID-19 patients in the State of Michigan. To prepare for the expected surge in ICU patients, tertiary facilities in Michigan have been gathering lessons learned from around the world. This site serves to collect, curate, and distribute best practices from across the state of Michigan and externally to facilitate care for large numbers of COVID patients.
The full set of resources is available here: http://www.med.umich.edu/surgery/mcccn/
Language for the COVID-19 Pandemic
This resources from the Rogel Cancer Center offers oncology providers sample language for communicating changes in delivery of cancer care due to the COVID pandemic.
https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/cancer-patients-and-covid
Practical Steps for you and your family
Michigan Surgery has produced two infographics that provide steps for reducing risk during this difficult time. One suggests steps to take when returning home from work. The other is steps to take when going shopping. Having a process in place can help ease some of the fear and anxiety. If you find these useful, please feel free to print and post them at home as visual reminders.
Last updated: November 18, 2020