Which type of performance measures are emphasized by NCQA?

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) emphasizes patient-centered care outcomes as a primary focus of their performance measures. This approach aligns with the overarching goal of improving healthcare quality by prioritizing the experiences and outcomes of patients. By concentrating on how care affects patients, including their health outcomes, satisfaction, and engagement in the healthcare process, NCQA promotes a healthcare system that is responsive to individual needs.

Patient-centered care outcomes often include metrics related to the effectiveness of treatment, the patient's perspective on their care, and overall health status improvements. This focus is essential in driving quality improvements because it encourages healthcare providers to consider how their actions affect patients directly, leading to better care experiences and health results.

In contrast, the other options, while important in their own right, do not encapsulate the primary emphasis of NCQA’s performance measures as directly as patient-centered care outcomes do. The focus on patient experience and health results has been shown to enhance patient loyalty, improve health outcomes, and contribute to a more equitable and effective healthcare system. This makes patient-centered care outcomes a central tenet of NCQA's quality improvement initiatives.