ICHOM Global Benchmarking Platform, powered by MRDM
The Global Benchmarking Platform helps healthcare providers worldwide to collect, validate, and compare their outcomes data efficiently and at scale using quality assured Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures.
The outcomes data will help physicians and clinical teams evaluate how they’re doing compared to their peers worldwide and allow for learning from each other to improve healthcare. The platform we are developing together will enable patients and clinicians to jointly make care more personalized, aligning clinical choices with patient preferences.
About the collaboration
Over the past decade, ICHOM has been producing the world’s leading Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures through global consensus working groups. As it is complex to collect and compare data, the implementation of Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures is limited, resulting in slower development of value-based healthcare. The global benchmarking platform is here to take on this challenge.
MRDM & ICHOM joined forces to draw on each other’s mutual strengths, further enabling ICHOM’s global non-profit mission to unlock the potential of value-based healthcare and continuing MRDM’s mission to turn data into better healthcare.
“The ICHOM Global Benchmarking Platform is the logical next step in our mission to unlock the potential of value-based healthcare. It will enable healthcare providers with the much-needed unbiased interpretation of their performance when using ICHOM Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures. As a result, the platform will serve as the trusted source for the global healthcare provider community needs.”
ICHOM is responsible for the content using the human and machine-readable ICHOM Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures, while MRDM looks after the technical part of developing and maintaining the platform.
“We are thrilled to be ICHOM’s trusted supplier on such an important step to advance the improvement of health outcomes that matter to patients. Our proven technical acumen and innovative mindset will enable ICHOM's Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures to scale across the globe and to be the driving force for high-value outcomes for patients across geographies, health systems and providers.”
The platform will help providers globally to collect and compare outcome data efficiently and securely at scale. It will enable systems, providers, payers, patients, and researchers to interpret and use outcome information effectively for improved care and decision support.
Global Benchmarking Platform
ICHOM Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures
ICHOM is an undisputed authority in developing global standards for the measurement of outcomes. ICHOM has published 39 Sets that cover >50% of the worldwide disease burden. With the ICHOM Sets and the platform it is possible to get the most out of your data by benchmarking outcomes globally. It is possible to register and use the platform with your own system.
Outcomes Platform
Collect
Choose your preferable way of collecting and uploading outcomes and PROMs data.
- FHIR-API
- Batch data uploads
- Manual data entry
Process
The platform validates, combines, and analyzes data according to the ICHOM working group's calculations rules.
- Data validation
- Ingestion & Storage
- Analytics
Report
Receive access to insights to compare with global best practices and perform further research.
- Interactive dashboards
- Multiple levels of benchmarking
- Export data for research or internal use
Your medical data is safe with us
- ISO27001 certified
- GDPR compliant
- Supports FAIR principles
Get the most out of your data
Gain insight into your performance on ICHOM KPIs in our interactive dashboards
- Compare your KPI scores to benchmark and understand what you excel at and where your most significant improvement points are
- Track the changes of your KPI-performance over time
- Filter and cross-section KPIs by demographics, diagnosis, or treatment for a deeper view on performance
Benchmark all outcomes against peers worldwide
Compare your score to:
- An international benchmark
- A national benchmark
- Individual providers within your own network in an open benchmark (add-on to standard offer, mutual provider permission required)
Use standardized extracts of your data as you see fit
- Perform any additional analytics on your validated data
- Further enrich your data with other sources
- Work easily together on additional analytics or data enrichment with your local partners by allowing them access to your data extracts
Features
- Available
- Planned
Collect
Batch data upload
Submit multiple patient records in one transaction via the secured upload facility
Manual data entry
Fallback option to manually enter data, with real-time validations
FHIR-API
Connect with the FHIR-API for automated upload from primary source systems
Process
Validations
Ensure high data quality to increase the reliability of the results with advanced validations
Analytics
Combine and analyze data streams based on standardized calculation rules for the set
Decentralized hosting
Set-up regional hosting in your geography if your local privacy regulations require
Local hosting
Set-up local hosting within your health institution.
Report
Dashboarding
Benchmark outcomes to learn, improve and create impact for patients
Data export
Receive standardized and validated data extracts to perform additional research
Network benchmarking
Compare outcomes against best practices in your network
Dating module
Authorize and distribute validated datasets to third parties for further research or analytics
API for data distribution
Connect with the API to perform your additional research
The future is value-based healthcare
With the Global Benchmarking Platform we are removing the technical and operational barriers around data access. By facilitating benchmarking across your organisation and your peers across the world, we will learn from each other to the ultimate benefit of patients.
Why is this development important?
- Reduce and align your healthcare spending with a focus on value-based healthcare
- Access validated outcomes data and quality assured ICHOM Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures
- Collect and compare outcomes data efficiently and at scale
- Work collaboratively to improve patient outcomes
Register your interest
For more information on registration please email us at benchmarking@ichom.org
Frequently Asked Questions
- General questions
- Joining the platform
- Platform and technology
- Privacy, security & hosting
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What is the purpose of the Global Benchmarking Platform?
The Global Benchmarking Platform’s overarching goal is to deliver insightful analytics that improve outcomes of care that matter most to patients. The platform will advance value-based healthcare organizations’ ability to improve patient outcomes, reduce unnecessary and sometimes harmful care, and reduce and align healthcare spending to create more value for patients worldwide. To achieve this, healthcare providers securely submit their data to our platform, enabling the comparing of outcomes data efficiently and at scale. Data collection made possible by our platform takes away significant hurdles in terms of data collection, privacy & security compliance, and uniformity in calculations.
Practical and actionable comparison of outcomes data is made possible by the platform through its state of art data visualizations and interactive dashboards.
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What added value does the platform create?
The platform: collect and compare outcome data efficiently and at scale with peers around the world through the benchmarking platform with learnings and decision support based on validated outcome data & quality assured Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures.
Benefits for early adopters:
- Will be at the forefront of enabling international benchmarking
- Have great potential to learn and improve healthcare through comparisons with leading organizations around the globe
- Have the unique opportunity to provide input on the roadmap that will be used in prioritizing releases
- Gain the benefit from great publicity, and will be mentioned on the ICHOM website and in case studies at the ICHOM Conference as ‘founding benchmark partners
- Can benefit from discounts from the start when signing up for more disease groups and a longer-term
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Why is there a need for a single platform, as opposed to multiple?
- For benchmarking results to be used for informed decision making, quality improvement, and reducing costs, it is of pivotal importance that the results are reliable and objective. To attain and safeguard reliability and objectivity, a single point of truth is needed, with clear governance over:
- Uniform and advanced technical and content validations to ensure a high standard of data quality across all users
- Uniform version management to ensure that all providers collect the correct versions of the sets in the same way everywhere
- Uniform benchmarking analytics to deliver reliable comparisons across the globe
- The ICHOM Global Benchmarking Platform will be open via APIs, allowing providers and third parties (such as other technology suppliers, consultants, etc) to work together to collect and register outcomes data and get them validated via the platform. Also, providers will be able to extract their data from the platform enabling them to use it for research or additional analytics.
- For benchmarking results to be used for informed decision making, quality improvement, and reducing costs, it is of pivotal importance that the results are reliable and objective. To attain and safeguard reliability and objectivity, a single point of truth is needed, with clear governance over:
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Why ICHOM & why MRDM?
- Over the past eight years, ICHOM has been working alongside leading experts worldwide to define global Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures that matter most to patients, and its sets are now covering >50% of the global disease burden.
- With the release of the ICHOM Global Benchmarking Platform, ICHOM has advanced healthcare across the globe one step closer to realizing the adoption of patient-centric outcome measures as a part of usual care
- ICHOM has chosen MRDM to execute the development and operations of the platform. MRDM is a qualified, specialised and dedicated data processor: highly experienced in processing, analyzing and dashboarding of medical outcomes data.
- ICHOM and MRDM will work collaboratively to co-produce this world’s first global benchmarking initiative focused on enabling the global healthcare provider community to efficiently and securely compare patient care outcomes by using the internationally recognised ICHOM Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures.
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What is the division of responsibilities between ICHOM and MRDM?
- ICHOM and MRDM combine their core capabilities and expertise in making the Global Benchmarking Platform. The collaboration draws on each other’s mutual strengths, further enabling ICHOM’s global non-profit mission to unlock the potential of value-based healthcare through international standards and MRDM’s mission to turn data into better healthcare.
- ICHOM is responsible for creating & maintaining Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures, defining KPIs based on Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures, contracting & invoicing for direct platform fees and customer support regarding the content of the sets.
- MRDM is responsible for privacy & security compliance of the platform, data processing & data management, analytics, benchmarking, dashboarding and technical customer support.
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What is the difference between LOGEX and MRDM, and what is the role of both parties in the platform?
- MRDM is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of LOGEX.
- LOGEX was founded in 2008 in the Netherlands, with the aim to use advanced data analytics to help (medical) professionals in improving healthcare. LOGEX is now grown to be the European leader in healthcare analytics, empowering stakeholders at every healthcare system level by bringing clarity to decisions that result in the best possible healthcare.
- MRDM is a qualified, specialised and dedicated data processor focusing on outcomes, and collects, processes and distributes individual patient-identifiable medical data on request of data controllers such as providers within applicable privacy and security regulation boundaries.
- ICHOM contracted LOGEX to execute the development and operations of the platform through their subsidiary MRDM. The platform will be built by MRDM and all data processing activities for the platform are performed by MRDM only. No other entities within the LOGEX group will have access to provider data processed by MRDM for the Global Benchmarking Platform without explicit consent of the provider (data controller).
- Healthcare providers joining the platform will therefore have a commercial contract with ICHOM, and a data processing agreement with MRDM (added as an appendix to the commercial contract).
- MRDM is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of LOGEX.
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When can I expect benchmark results so that I can improve my care?
- Dependent on your data upload, you see within a couple of days your results in your dashboard. Validation of the first batch takes a couple of iterations so keep this in mind for your planning.
- We expect the dashboards for the breast cancer to be available in 2022. (Indicative, no rights can be derived from this)
- The dashboards will start with 10-15 KPIs and a few key filters, which will be expanded over time.
- The global and national benchmark will be available when there are >5 participating providers in the specific benchmark for the given disease group.
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What sets are available in 2021 and onwards?
We started by launching the breast cancer set and are currently working on the implementation of the stroke set. Dependent on the interest of the hospitals we will further improve and add more sets.
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How are indicators determined?
- The indicators are based on the Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures and will be further finetuned.
- Indicators will be identified by the ICHOM working groups, consisting of an international panel of disease-specific clinical experts and patient representatives.
- The indicator set will be reviewed periodically by the ICHOM working group to ensure it remains relevant and useful.
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With whom can I benchmark?
- Leading international providers (when >5 providers on the platform for the specific disease group)
- National benchmark (when >5 national providers on the platform for the specific disease group)
- Local clinic to clinic comparison (add-on): Network of institutions, when organizations provided consent to benchmark results openly with each other.
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What do I receive in 2021?
Data collection
- Upload batches of datafiles through our secure upload facility and/or;
- Enter data manually through our secure web tool
- Ability to import historical data
Data validation
- Data validation reports
Benchmarking and visualization
- ICHOM outcome set analytics on standard set KPIs, including trends
- Standardized international benchmarking (as soon as 5 participating hospitals have uploaded their data)
Data distribution
- Standardized data extracts (CSV)
See separate questions for optional add-ons to this package.
Platform & data pipeline is fully GDPR compliant and ISO certified, hosted in Google Cloud Platform in the Netherlands
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How, and for what questions/issues can I contact customer support?
- MRDM’s customer support can be contacted regarding all questions related to the platform at ichom@mrdm.com
- ICHOM’s customer support can be contacted regarding questions related to contracting, invoicing and content of the Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures at benchmarking@ichom.org
- Customer support cannot provide any medical support.
- Customer support is available in English only.
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How can I join?
Indicate your interest to join to ICHOM team via benchmarking@ichom.org
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What is the onboarding process?
- When you have decided that you want to join, ICHOM will provide a documentation package consisting of a master agreement with ICHOM and a data processor agreement with MRDM as an annexe to that master agreement.
- We kindly ask you to determine who will be the primary contact person for your institution. Once the agreements are signed, the contact person can apply for accounts to access the ICHOM Benchmarking Platform, relevant documentation, and customer support.
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What are the requirements regarding official contact persons for the platform, and how do I arrange this?
- Each provider institution needs an official contact person per standard set on the platform.
- The official contact person is a central contact person who oversees all relevant developments regarding the standard set and can translate that into impact and actions for the provider institution
- The contact person is also responsible for overseeing what type of user accounts should be distributed to people within the provider institution. In this way, this is an extra check to ensure that the accounts and user management authorizations are set appropriately.
- Anyone in the hospital who is mandated on behalf of the provider institution to function as an official contact person for the standard set. These are typically physicians, clinic directors, or quality managers.
Someone can become an official contact person by submitting a request to become an official contact person via the application form that will be shared with you after the contract has been signed.
- Each provider institution needs an official contact person per standard set on the platform.
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How can I get an account?
After your provider institution has formally arranged participation, you can request a personal log-in account via customer support. The official contact person for the registry from your institution must confirm your access and authorization level.
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I already collect Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures. What do I do?
- Suppose you collect the data in the right format and structure, and it is possible to make the data available to the platform from your current system. In that case, you can continue collecting the standard set in the way that you are already doing.
- Suppose you are collecting the data in a somewhat other structure. In that case, you can either adapt the data collection (or map it) into the correct format or, if that is not possible, look into different data collection options (see technology).
- Suppose you are collecting Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures via a PROMs collection tool. In that case, the hospital will be responsible for sending the data to us, and there is no need for the PROMS system vendor to become an ICHOM certified partner. However, if such a PROMs collector is interested in becoming an accredited partner, we refer to the Q&A for technology & implementation partners.
- It is possible to submit historical data to the platform once, under specific conditions, if the historical data is in the right format and structure.
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I don't have any experience in collecting Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures yet. What do I do?
- Don’t worry! You can start collecting the Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures in a most convenient way to you, as long as it follows the correct structure and can be made available to the platform.
- We offer manual data entry options and batch uploads from primary source systems. In addition we are planning to add options for automated data extraction as the platform grows with more participants. It is also possible to start collecting PROMs via existing PROMs systems.
- Please note that it takes some time for data collection before sufficient results can be used for benchmarking. The amount of time depends on the number of patients, and the measurement intervals (between pre-and postoperative, e.g.)
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Where can I find relevant documentation on the Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures?
- The data dictionaries of all Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures are available for free on the ICHOM website. This is a document that describes the set as defined by the ICHOM working group. It provides an overview of the data that is collected and what values can be delivered.
- The machine-readable sets are separately available from ICHOM. This is a technical document that facilitates the extraction of data and uploads of batches.
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Do I have to enter data manually?
No, you don’t have to. There are three options op data delivery. The manual, web-based data entry method is an option for hospitals who are not mature enough. The other option is uploading the data though a batch file.In addition we are planning to add options for automated data extraction as the platform grows with more participants
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What are 'machine-readable sets'?
This is the standard set converted into a digitally capable data collection format, such as JSON or FHIR that facilitates data extraction and batch file uploads.
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How is the platform delivered?
The platform is SaaS-based (Software as a Service). This means that the software is not for sale, but users can purchase a license to use the platform.
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How can I determine what data capturing method is the best for me?
- If you are already collecting/can collect the required data in your primary source system and extract the datasets from this system, we recommend starting with batch uploads.
- Manual data entry is available as a fallback option if the required data cannot (yet) be collected from the primary source system. Therefore, manual data entry can be a temporary solution (until data collection in the primary sources is possible) or a partial solution (only for those metrics that cannot be collected in the primary source system).
- In addition we are planning to add options for automated data extraction as the platform grows with more participants.
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With what frequency should I / can I submit my data?
- You can enter data manually at any time.
- Upload of batches should be at least once a year and at most four times per year in the platform’s first year.
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In what frequency are the benchmark results updated?
Benchmarks will be updated four times per year (quarterly).
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What information will the dashboard contain?
- You receive a dashboard for each disease group that you participate in.
- The following elements are part of each dashboard:
- Outcome analytics based on ICHOM KPI definitions
- KPIs (year 1)
- Trends of the results over time (year 1)
- Basic (case-mix) filters (year 1)
- Risk adjustment (year 2, indicative)
- Standardized national, global benchmarking
- Benchmark KPI against (year 1):
- Global benchmark (when >5 participating providers)
- National benchmark (when >5 participating providers, estimated from 2022 or later)
- Basic (case-mix filters) (year 1)
- Benchmark KPI against (year 1):
- Outcome analytics based on ICHOM KPI definitions
- Apart from the standard elements/functionalities, you can also opt-in for the following add-ons to the dashboard:
- Local clinic to clinic comparison (open benchmark within your network; requires mutual consent from organizations in the open benchmark, estimated from 2022 or later).
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What tool should I use to collect PROMs and PREMs?
Local collection of PROMs and PREMs is not a part of the ICHOM benchmarking platform. Every hospital that participates in the platform can decide by themselves which PROMs/PREMs collection tool is used. Subsequently, hospitals can upload the data to the benchmarking platform (possibly with the help of the PROMs/PREMs collection party) so that the outcomes can be compared on an (inter)national scale. If you do not have a PROMs/PREMs collection tool yet, ICHOM has selected a few preferred partners who they highly recommend, please find the partners here. You can also work with you own partner.
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Who controls the data?
- The controller (within the meaning of GDPR) or covered entity (within the meaning of HIPAA) determines the goal and means of the processing of (personal) data. This is typically the provider.
- ICHOM, nor MRDM, will not and cannot transfer or sell any data controlled by providers to third
- The providers mandate MRDM to perform analytics following the outcomes defined in ICHOM’s Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures
- The providers may also mandate MRDM to distribute datasets to third parties on behalf of these providers.
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What data is involved?
We refer to the data dictionaries of the Sets of Patient-Centered Outcome Measures for a complete overview.
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Will my data be sold?
The providers determine the goal and means of processing (personal) data and deciding where data should be distributed (if anywhere). ICHOM and MRDM will never transfer or sell data to anyone or perform data processing activities beyond the providers’ authorization.
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Who has access to what data?
- Data controllers decide where data should be distributed to (if anywhere), and they are responsible for following local regulations
- ICHOM defines analytics by deciding on ‘calculation rules’. MRDM runs the scripts on the platform.
- Other parties can also define analytics and request MRDM to run these on the platform, in case the controller/covered entity has given approval for this (through the ICHOM participation agreement or other specific provider agreements).
- Only authorized MRDM staff have access to data to perform the agreed-upon processing activities
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Where are the data hosted?
- As a default, the data is processed using Google Cloud Platform, located in The Netherlands. Google is a sub-processor of MRDM. MRDM has a data processing and security terms agreement with Google that meets a data processor agreement’s requirement. Also, the GCP services are fully separated from the consumer services from Google.
- When the default option is not legally allowed in your geography, options regarding decentral hosting can be discussed with ICHOM.
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What does decentralized hosting mean?
- When national privacy regulations demand that identifiable health data stays in the given geography, we can set-up hosting regionally in global cloud players Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Microsoft Azure.
- When GCP or Azure is not nationally accepted, the platform will be hosted on a nationally accepted cloud provider. The impact of this is context-specific and needs to be investigated per situation.
- This option is normally made available when there is a number of health care providers in your country that is participating in the Global Benchmarking Platform.
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Which privacy and security measures are in place?
- The platform complies with GDPR and is ISO27001 certified. HIPAA certification is in preparation.
- Implementation partners and PROMs collectors must state compliance with privacy and security as requirements for becoming a certified partner (implementation partners and PROMs data collectors). ICHOM nor MRDM can be held responsible for the compliance of these parties.
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Can data be re-used for research?
Providers can authorize that data is analyzed for other purposes, such as scientific research. The scientific committee carefully reviews research requests. Supplied data will always be pseudonymized, aggregated, and not retraceable to individual patients by unauthorized parties/persons.