Force Therapeutics recently hosted Orthopedic Quality and Safety experts and Service Line Coordinators from Hartford HealthCare and Nuvance Health’s Norwalk Hospital for a panel discussion. These two organizations chose to participate in the voluntary reporting period of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) total hip/knee arthroplasty patient-reported outcome - performance measure (THA/TKA PRO-PM). This experience puts them in an opportune position to share challenges and solutions that can help hospitals in meeting the mandate which is now required for all inpatient hospitals as of April 2025. Access the full panel here.
Hospitals are currently collecting pre-operative data ahead of the first mandatory data submission deadline in September 2025, and a vast majority of these hospitals have not participated in the first two voluntary reporting periods. Subsequently, our team has compiled the biggest challenges mentioned during the panel to help inform hospital decision making and processes for successful mandatory reporting.
1. 1-Year PROMs Collection
Participants in voluntary reporting have conveyed that pre-operative collection of the required data elements is fairly straightforward; it can be incorporated into typical workflows and collected in-person at the hospital or clinic as a mandatory step in the pre-operative process.
However, collecting the required data elements 1 year post-operatively is a far more challenging requirement. “At the 1-year mark, patients often lose interest [in PROMs] as their lives have improved with their new joint”, said Nicole Williams, Total Joint Coordinator at Nuvance Health’s Norwalk Hospital.
Hospitals utilizing Force Therapeutics achieve unparalleled 1-year PROMs compliance thanks to personalized pre- and post-operative education and content that is strategically delivered using our proprietary Intelligent Care Plan algorithms. A recent study demonstrated that 84% of hospitals using Force Therapeutics are already on track to satisfy the requirements of the CMS THA/TKA PRO-PM, avoiding millions in financial penalties ahead of mandatory reporting.
2. Accurate Data Formatting
Based on voluntary reporting experience, the CMS reporting website will reject uploaded documents frequently due to various formatting issues. This can include the presence of extra spaces, incorrect decimals, noncompliant date formats, or in some cases missing data for some patients, necessitating multiple reviews, corrections, and reuploading of the required files.
This can be particularly challenging and time consuming for high volume hospitals, who may have to review many hundreds of rows of data to ensure accurate formatting. However, hospitals using Force Therapeutics for THA/TKA PRO-PM reporting can download reports that conform to the required formatting without the need for any manipulation, ensuring a seamless submission process.
"After year one, our ask back to Force was we want a file that requires no manipulation [for submission],” said Suzanne Casey, System Director of Regulatory Quality and Digital Measurement at Hartford HealthCare. “In 2024, that goal was met. The files worked perfectly."
3. Lack of Clarity from CMS
Considering the complex nature of this quality measure, participants in voluntary reporting have expressed frustration about securing answers surrounding the required data elements and the nuances involved in collecting, formatting, and reporting them. One example of this confusion was whether the chronic (>90 day) narcotic use data element, which is required pre-operatively, must be reported by the patient or the provider.
With continuous client support from the Force Therapeutics clinical operations team, gaining clarity in the face of regulatory obscurity is less challenging. In fact, our team frequently communicates directly with the CMS to secure answers to our client’s most pressing questions.
“We had specific questions regarding one of the new CMS mandate elements that they wanted,” said Williams, “and a Force teammate actually reached out and got the answers, which when you work with CMS can be very difficult to get a straight answer. So, they really help us in our day to day workflow and by collecting the data pieces that we need all in one place."
Learn More
To gain additional insights from the experience of voluntary reporting and learn how Force Therapeutics supports hospital compliance with the CMS THA/TKA PRO-PM, access the full panel recording here or through the form below.
