Several benefits to patients and hospitals can result from implementing malnutrition quality improvement programs and tracking and reporting on the MCS (formerly GMCS). These include, but are not limited to:

• CMS has classified the MCS as a health equity measure. Identifying and addressing malnutrition in hospitals and throughout the care continuum across all populations—including those as highest risk—aligns with the priorities of the Biden administration to advance health equity as well as the Joint Commission’s new requirements to identify and take action to reduce healthcare disparities
• Reporting on the MCS could impact several other quality measures in other payment programs related to poor outcomes associated with malnutrition and exacerbation of other conditions, such as CMS’s Star Rating measures on readmission rates
• The MCS can help integrated health systems in population health contracts to drive quality improvement initiatives addressing malnutrition across the care continuum—by first identifying and addressing it within the hospital—to improve health outcomes and reduce costs as well as meet overall population health goals
• Improving patient health outcomes by and ensuring delivery of appropriate care based on acuity of patients’ conditions and other individualized needs
• Aligning with latest quality measure infrastructure and interoperability standards and following guidance for refinement based on close correspondence with CMS

More information about the benefits of reporting on the MCS can be found in the resources section of this website