PHQ Certification Options

NEW: On December 8, 2008, NCQA introduced an Interim Certification option for organizations wishing to demonstrate their program meets key standards for methodology, transparency prior to deployment. Additional information on Interim Certification is presented below.

Organizations that are certifiable entities may seek any of the following certifications. Certification is effective for two years with the exception of Provisional Certification for Physician Quality.

• Certification for Physician and Hospital Quality (PHQ Certification): The organization passed both PHQ 1: Measuring Physician Performance and PHQ 2: Hospital Performance, scored together.
  
  
• Certification for Physician Quality (PQ Certification): The organization passed PHQ 1 only.
  
  
• Certification for Hospital Quality (HQ Certification): The organization passed PHQ 2 only.
  
  
• Provisional Certification for Physician Quality (Provisional PQ Certification): The organization with an ongoing program passed a subset of PQ 1 elements. Provisional PQ Certification indicates that the organization passes some key elements and is in the process of revising its program to pass the entire PHQ 1 standard. Organizations seeking Provisional PQ Certification must undergo a survey against all PHQ 1 elements within 12 months of achieving Provisional PQ Certification.
  
  
• Interim Certification for Physician Quality (Interim PQ Certification): The organizations with a current physician program – prior to its public release – may come forward for survey under a subset of the PHQ1 elements. Interim certification indicates that the organization meets key standards for methodology and transparency before public release. Interim Certification expires 180 days after receiving Certification. Organizations seeking PQ or PHQ Certification must undergo a Follow-up survey against the remaining PHQ 1 elements within 120 days of the public release of their physician quality program to achieve full certification.
  
  Organizations intending to pursue PHQ Certification following completion of the Interim Survey process must submit the Hospital Quality (HQ) Survey and the Interim Initial Survey concurrently. If the standards for both Interim PQ and HQ are successfully met, the organization receives Interim PQ Certification and HQ Certification. PHQ Certification is awarded upon successful completion of the Interim Follow-up Survey.