Quality and safety marker (QSM) collection and reporting suspended until 30 June 2020

The Health Quality & Safety Commission has temporarily suspended the requirement for DHBs to collect and report on QSM measures that are manually collected until 30 June 2020. For example, falls risk assessment and care planning for the falls QSM and number of cardiac arrests for the patient deterioration QSM.

We have also extended the date for submitting data for all SSI process and outcome measures to 30 June 2020.

During this period, we will continue to monitor and publish outcome measures where data is obtained from the National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), for example, falls with a fractured neck of femur.

The measures that will be published in the reports for the January–March and April–June 2020 quarters are:

• in-hospital falls causing fractured neck of femur
• risk-adjusted postoperative DVT/PE cases
• opioid-related harm for surgical episodes of care.

Given the critical importance of hand hygiene at this time we strongly encourage DHBs to maintain some hand hygiene auditing, at a manageable level. This helps supports best practice being maintained consistently across the hospital and provides opportunities for health care workers to help their colleagues to not miss hand hygiene moments.

From 1 July 2020, we expect DHBs to start collecting for all QSM measures and to submit this data on 6 November 2020.

DHBs are expected to start collecting data for the consumer engagement QSM in December 2020 and provide an initial report in June 2021.

The above dates may change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.