CMS-10109 CMS-10109.CART Summary

CMS Abstraction & Reporting Tool (CART)

Executive Summary

The CMS Abstraction & Reporting Tool (CART) is a powerful application for the collection and analysis of quality improvement data. Through data collection, retrospective analyses and real-time reporting, CART enables hospitals to comprehensively evaluate and manage quality improvement efforts.

Designed and developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with input from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs), CART is user-friendly in managing and analyzing quality improvement data. When a hospital is seeking to submit data for quality improvement initiatives, CART is ideal for the data collection and analyses that are essential to the success of all quality improvement efforts.

Research has proven that system changes are integral to any quality improvement initiative. Data obtained using CART will assist in identifying areas requiring system changes, as well as the progress of existing system enhancements.

The application is available at no charge to hospitals and other organizations seeking to submit data for quality improvement purposes.

CART is available for use in stand-alone, Windows-based computer, in a computer network, or in environments without computing resources (paper tool). A Web-based version of CART will be available on QualityNet Exchange. Support for CART will include abstraction definitions, user guides, training and data feedback.

CART’s key functions and benefits:

• Assists in meeting CMS and/or JCAHO measurement specifications for performance monitoring and data collection with a single application.

• Compares progress in quality improvement internally, and with hospitals in your state and region with similar bed size, or throughout the entire nation.

• Maintains security of patient data as well as Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance.

• Receives updates and enhancements to meet changing and evolving quality improvement needs.

• Performs real-time and/or retrospective analyses.

• Identifies areas for new system changes or enhancements to existing systems based on data collected.

System Functionality

CART provides the following basic functions:

Add new abstraction cases

Edit existing abstraction cases

Set hospital-specific preferences including:

• Abstracting for CMS and/or JCAHO measurement specifications

• Selecting clinical topics and measures

• Adding and assignment roles for system users

Import:

• Demographic data from text files

• Patient-specific data files from JCAHO Core Measure vendors

• Data files from hospital-specific abstraction tools

Export files formatted to:

• Meet CMS measurement specifications

• Meet JCAHO measurement specifications

• Allow access to data through XML-compatible systems

In the future, CART will provide hospitals with the ability to set up their own fields that are customizable and exportable to report on hospital-specific measures. This data will not be made available to outside organizations.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0938-0938. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 25 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: CMS, 7500 Security Boulevard, Attn: PRA Reports Clearance Officer, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.