Implementing Measurement Requirements in DSRIP Demonstration Programs

The purpose of this brief is to give the reader an understanding of how measurement fits into the broader DSRIP program, describe the way that states and CMS designed the measurement requirements in each program, explore how states and providers are implementing the measurement requirements, and assess key informants’ beliefs about how measurement is influencing change. Our goal in this brief is not to assess the adequacy of states’ measurement requirements, but insights from this brief can help inform the design of measurement requirements in new programs or program renewals. Future quantitative analyses will be needed to examine the extent to which program design elements, including the measurement requirements, influence the impact of DSRIP demonstration programs.

This brief includes a conceptual framework, which illustrates the role of measurement in DSRIP; a description of the metrics used in DSRIP programs; a report on the barriers and facilitators that key informants say they experienced in implementing state measurement requirements; a discussion of how measurement has influenced DSRIP achievements; and the key lessons learned and recommendations. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for the upcoming impact evaluation of DSRIP programs.