Closing the Recommendations Follow-Up Loop

In 2019, the ACR^® was awarded a grant from the prestigious Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation under its Diagnostic Excellence Initiative. The grant fostered development of a clinical quality measure set to improve completion of follow-up for evidence-based recommendations made for actionable incidental radiology findings.

Development of the Closing the Recommendations Follow-Up Loop measure set continues with measure testing and the collection of input from the public on the measures’ revisions.

A Look Back

An ACR technical expert panel (TEP) initially developed the Closing the Loop measure set and worked to refine the quality measures’ specifications to assess the completion of follow-up recommendations regarding actionable incidental findings.

Measure testing sites have been integral to the quality measures’ success to improve the targeted measure population’s quality of care. At the sites, the measures are implemented in routine practice so we can examine their feasibility, reliability and validity — as well as other issues — in real-time.

An initial comment period provided the public with an opportunity to view and offer feedback on the draft set of measures. Stakeholders provided input on the measures’ feasibility in practice, data capture and the ability to measure intended actions. The TEP reviewed the feedback and made changes to ensure the measures are actionable and useable in practice.

A Look Ahead

Today, testing continues to support the ongoing development of the measure set. To participate in the measure development process, visit the Closing the Recommendations Follow-Up Loop page and sign up to become a measure tester.

A second public comment period on the measure set is currently underway. The ACR invites interested stakeholders to view the latest measure set and provide input about the follow-up of actionable incidental findings.

Going forward, we will seek input on continuously updated versions of the measure set to enhance its feasibility in practice and its use as a quality improvement tool into the future.