ASA Signs Joint Letter From Surgical Quality Alliance (SQA) Regarding 2010 PQRI

Chicago — (April 21, 2009) 

The ASA recently joined a letter submitted to CMS from the Surgical Quality Alliance (SQA). The letter, the first of its kind from the SQA, responds to a call from CMS to comment on potential future reporting options with respect to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI). Among the issues emphasized in the letter are the need to continue registry reporting and recognizing physicians who engage in robust quality improvement activities, such as prospective reporting to a clinical data registry.

With the mission of bringing together the surgical specialties and anesthesiology to define principles of surgical patient quality and to develop meaningful tools for surgical quality improvement, the SQA is increasing its quality and regulatory presence.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the Lifeline of Modern Medicine TM. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with more than 50,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists website at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com

###

Contact:

American Society of Anesthesiologists
communications@asahq.org
847-825-5586