National Quality Forum Seeks Public Comment on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare Quality Measurement Report

Report to offer initial guidance and recommendations for developing, selecting, and implementing AI-enabled quality measures, particularly for use in accountability programs.

Washington, DC, Sept. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Quality Forum (NQF), an affiliate of Joint Commission, is seeking comments from the public on a draft of its upcoming report on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) methods in healthcare quality measurement. The report includes guidance and recommendations for developing, selecting, and implementing AI-enabled quality measures in accountability programs, including value-based payment, public reporting, performance-based provider network designs, and accreditation.

AI methods, such as natural language processing, machine learning, and large language models, hold enormous potential to enhance healthcare quality measurement in particular. AI can extract data on patient care from sources such as clinical notes, laboratory reports, and radiology reports, which are currently burdensome and time-consuming to extract, as well as from external devices such as ambient sensors or voice recorders. By making it possible to measure important areas that were previously difficult to access and assess, AI can help to reduce implementation burden and improve measure reliability and validity.

“AI has the opportunity to transform data collection and analysis but using AI in quality measurement effectively and responsibly requires addressing a raft of novel and complex challenges to ensure accuracy, consistency, and adequate transparency, while managing the potential for unintended consequences,” said Dana Gelb Safran, ScD, President and CEO, NQF. “In addition, AI-enabled measures must be feasible to implement and scale for a range of large and small organizations. To realize the full potential of AI for quality measurement, we must establish strong governance and industry consensus.”

NQF’s measurement report represents the latest in a series of efforts under the umbrella of the independent, evidence-based healthcare standard setting organization, Joint Commission, to promote responsible use of AI in healthcare. NQF is a Joint Commission affiliate. In June, Joint Commission and the nonprofit Coalition for Health AI (CHAI) announced a new partnership to create a suite of AI playbooks and tools, and a new certification program rooted in Joint Commission’s platform for evidence-based standards, and CHAI’s consensus-based best practices for health AI.

“Many quality measures rely on claims-based data. A limitation of claims for quality measurement is that they lack the clinical richness and nuance of clinically-sourced data. However, data from clinical sources, such as electronic health records and clinical registries, have historically been cumbersome to extract and report for quality measurement purposes,” added Safran. “AI technology could be the key to unlocking the potential of clinically-sourced data for measuring and improving the quality of healthcare while at the same time easing the measurement burden on care providers.”

To drive consensus on the guidance and recommendations, NQF convened a national technical expert panel (TEP) comprised of stakeholders from across the healthcare ecosystem, including experts in the use of AI methods for healthcare quality measurement, clinical informatics, health information technology, and health equity, as well as representatives from payers, and health systems familiar with the use of AI methods for quality measurement.

The TEP outlined key strategies to advance trustworthy AI-enabled measures and created a multi-step roadmap for implementing the strategies. The report includes specific recommendations for program owners (organizations responsible for administering national, regional, state or local, public or private sector accountability programs), measure developers, measured entities, and measure implementation vendors to use when developing and testing a measure, selecting a measure for use, preparing for implementation, implementing, and monitoring a measure over time.

Funding for NQF’s work on the use of AI in quality measures was provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

To learn more about the initiative, visit NQF’s website. To read the draft report and submit comments, go to surveymonkey.com/r/FD867LY. Comments must be submitted by October 15, 2025, at 6:00 PM ET.

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About National Quality Forum
The National Quality Forum (NQF) is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan, membership-based organization that works to improve healthcare outcomes, safety, and affordability for all people. Our unique role is to bring all voices to our table to forge multistakeholder consensus on quality measurement and improvement standards and practices that achieve measurable health improvements for all. NQF is a proud affiliate of Joint Commission. Learn more at www.qualityforum.org.

Zachary Brousseau
National Quality Forum (NQF)
202-478-9326
press@qualityforum.org

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