Core Measures
Core Measures are standardized, evidence-based performance measures developed by The Joint Commission (TJC) and CMS to assess hospital quality of care, used for accreditation under ORYX, public reporting on Hospital Compare, and as the basis for Medicare payment programs.
What are Core Measures?
Core Measures were introduced by The Joint Commission in 2002 and aligned with CMS for the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program. They provide standardized, evidence-based performance measures that allow comparison across hospitals nationally. Current TJC measure sets include Perinatal Care (PC), Immunization (IMM), Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), Substance Use (SUB), and Tobacco Treatment (TOB); older measure sets for pneumonia (PN), heart failure (HF), and AMI have been retired or consolidated into broader programs. ORYX is TJC's performance measurement framework — accredited hospitals must collect and submit data for applicable ORYX measures as a condition of accreditation. The CMS Hospital IQR Program covers 60+ measures for IPPS hospitals; failure to report results in a 2% reduction to the Medicare base payment rate for that fiscal year — a significant financial penalty. Core Measures are distinct from CMS Star Ratings measures and from MIPS quality measures, which apply to outpatient/physician settings.
Why It Matters for Healthcare Analytics
Core Measure performance is publicly reported on CMS Care Compare, influencing patient choice, payer contracting, and hospital reputation. Failing to report — or performing poorly — on measures like SEP-1, VTE prophylaxis, or immunization rates affects both accreditation standing and Medicare payment. Tracking each measure's denominator population, numerator compliance, and exclusion rates is essential for sustained performance.
How Vizier Tracks Core Measures
Upload your quality reporting data and ask "Which Core Measures are below the 50th percentile nationally and in which units?" — Vizier identifies underperforming measures, quantifies the gap to benchmark, and flags denominator patients where compliance documentation may be missing.