This comprehensive guide presents a data science approach to healthcare quality measurement and provider profiling for policymakers, regulators, hospital quality leaders, clinicians, and researchers. Two volumes encompass basic and advanced statistical techniques and diverse practical applications. Volume 1 begins with a historical review followed by core concepts including measure types and attributes (bias, validity, reliability, power, sample size); data sources; target conditions and procedures; patient and provider observation periods; attribution level; risk modeling; social risk factors; outlier classification; data presentation; public reporting; and graphical approaches. Volume 2 introduces causal inference for provider profiling, focusing on hierarchical regression models. These models appropriately partition systematic and random variation in observations, accounting for within-provider clustering. Item Response Theory models are introduced for linking multiple categorical quality metrics to underlying quality constructs. Computational strategies are discussed, followed by various approaches to inference. Finally, methods to assess and compare model fit are presented.

‘Healthcare Quality Measurement by Normand and Shahian is the definitive, rigorous guide to measuring healthcare performance. Blending statistical depth with real-world insight, it brings order to a fragmented field and sets a new standard for validity, transparency, and responsible use of quality metrics.’

Harlan Krumholz - M.D., SM, Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Yale School of Medicine, and Director, Yale Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE)

‘This two-volume compendium from two titans in the field of healthcare quality measurement at MGH and Harvard will be a go-to reference on properly assessing healthcare quality. And a key aspect of properly assessing quality is causal inference, which is covered comprehensively in the two volumes.’

Mike Daniels - Professor and Andrew Banks Family Endowed Chair, Department of Statistics, University of Florida

‘This is now the definitive text on healthcare quality measurement. Written by true experts and legends in the field, this book becomes the foundation for examining and improving how we assess the quality of care delivered.’

Karl Y. Bilimoria - M.D., Chair of the Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine

‘Assessing the quality of health care is an incredibly important - and incredibly challenging - topic; doing so well can help ensure high quality care and save resources. This book provides a rigorous and comprehensive overview of this vast field, with an important focus on the inherent causal questions involved. It will be an important resource both for those new to the field as well as to those steeped in these topics, sure to be pulled off of bookshelves frequently!’

Elizabeth Stuart - Frank Hurley and Catharine Dorrier Professor and Chair, Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University

‘Over the past few decades, the science of quality measurement has advanced dramatically. This book serves as a comprehensive guide-covering both the clinical rationale and technical details-authored by two of the field’s leading architects, Drs. Normand and Shahian.’

Justin B. Dimick - M.D., MPH, Chair of the Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School

‘This master class on quality measurement is an essential read, comprehensive in scope with relevant content for administrators, evaluators and statisticians. The authors provide an informative history and highlight the key role of analyses (causal methods are featured) linked to clearly identified policy goals. Though the focus is on health quality measurement, the books provide conceptual and analytic guidance that is directly relevant to a broad domain of evaluations and statistical applications.’

Thomas A. Louis - Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins, Bloomberg SPH

‘This is a truly impressive book, from the perhaps unlikely but brilliant pairing of a cardiac surgeon and a biostatistician with a deep shared commitment to health care quality. Clear, practical, and engaging, it will be a valuable resource for clinicians, researchers, and health system leaders working to improve care!’

Karen E. Joynt Maddox - M.D., MPH, Professor, Washington University School of Medicine and Washington University School of Public Health

‘What a wealth of material here. Top experts in the practice and methods of quality-of-care measurement take us from Florence Nightingale's first lifesaving countings into the digital future. Attention to detail and the overarching impact stimulate insight into a complex but fascinating and important topic. History is written here in more ways than one.’

Els Goetghebeur - Full Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Ghent University

‘Drs. Normand and Shahian have offered those interested in healthcare improvement a true treasure with their two-volume treatise, ‘Healthcare Quality Measurement.’ The depth of their analyses of the benefits and potential pitfalls of the broad panoply of quality measures and associated statistical approaches will be an invaluable resource for the academician, clinician, purchaser, payer, industry, state and national agencies, patient advocacy groups and all other stakeholders involved in healthcare.’

Ralph G. Brindis - M.D., MPH, Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California San Francisco