What is the Maryland Quality Indicator Project?

The Maryland Quality Indicator Project (QI Project) is a clinical, outcomes-based research project that allows health care industry participants to understand and improve their performance at their facility. Developed in 1985, this participant driven, quality analysis research tool specifically assists hospital leadership in overseeing patient care quality, understanding hospital performance and identifying opportunities for improvement.

What began as a pilot program, including seven facilities in Maryland, has grown to over 1,800 facilities nationwide, incorporating hundreds of measures. This makes it one of the largest performance quality analysis programs available. The comprehensive set of benefits and services provided also makes the QI Project an exceptional value for participants.

Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO) Accepted

Among JCAHO-accredited facilities, the QI Project is the performance measurement system most frequently selected for meeting the ORYX requirement. Nearly 1,000 of the Project's participants use their QI Project data to meet this JCAHO requirement.

The QI Project Difference

There are two significant differences between the QI Project and other assessment tools:

1. Emphasis is on clinical data, not claims data.
2. The motivating factor behind the Project is not the data, but discovering the "why" behind the data.

Because the QI Project has its roots in education and research, its mission is to develop valid, useful indicators to assist participant's efforts in understanding and improving patient care quality. The guiding principles of the QI Project are to provide:

• Meaningful tools for continuous performance measurement and quality assessment
• Comparative analysis through a variety of customizable reporting tools
• Ongoing training and education for all participants
• Opportunities for collaboration among participants

Participant Services

By selecting the QI Project as your performance assessment tool, you will receive a variety of programs and services:

• Internet-Based Data Collection Software - easy to use, multi-user, multi-level security access.


• Graphing Functions - allow participants to graph their data alongside national, sponsor and custom peer groups; includes aggregate graphs, comparison charts, run charts and control charts.


• Custom Reports - participants select parameters that more closely match their own facility. Implementation Manuals - a resource that provides explicit indicator definitions, inclusions and exclusions, recommended data sources and data collection worksheets.


• Education/Training - prior to starting, all participants receive in-house training on data collection, software and reporting tools to help participants understand all aspects of the QI Project.


• Target: Quality - quarterly newsletter profiles experiences of participants who have successfully improved processes of care by using Project data.


• User Group Meetings - used for updating and training, allowing participants to share their experiences in using Project data.


• Dedicated Staff - provides prompt and courteous service.

Who's in the Project?

Type of facility and number of participating facilities:

Acute: 750
Psychiatric: 230
Long-Term: Care 120
Home Care: 60

How Can You Participate in the Maryland QI Project?

To participate in the QI Project, health care facilities join through a sponsoring organization like the Wisconsin Hospital Association. To learn more about the Project or the enrollment process, contact Geoff McAlister at WHA at 800-362-7121.

Links to Additional Information

• Fact Sheet


• Quality Indicator Project Measures
  • Acute Care Measures
  • Long Term Care Measures
  • Psychiatric Care Measures
  • Home Care Measures
• Core Measures Component (CMS)
  CMS is a package of software and services that enables hospitals to meet requirements for JCAHO Core Measures and CMS 8th Scope of Work as well as participate in a variety of national, regional and state quality initiatives.


• Data Dimensions Reporter (DDR)
  DDR is a web-based tool that allows participants to apply a series of report templates to their patient-level data.