NCQA Receives WITH Foundation Grant to Expand Use of Person-Centered Outcome Measures
January 23, 2026 · Becky Kolinski
NCQA is pleased to announce that we received funding from the WITH Foundation to adapt Person-Centered Outcome (PCO) measures for practitioners serving adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). PCO measures are unique because they focus on what matters most to individuals and encourage practitioners to align services around those goals.
“We started developing PCO measures in 2015 to improve healthcare for patients with complex care needs,” says Julie Seibert, NCQA’s Assistant Vice President, Behavioral Health. “This project builds upon that work by updating the measures for adults with IDD and providing practitioners with tools to incorporate quality measures that align with person-centered goals into the treatment process.”
This initiative stems from NCQA’s partnership with IEC (Institute for Exceptional Care) on the IIDDEAL (Individuals with IDD Engaged, Aligned and Leading) project to conduct an environmental scan and work with self-advocates to build consensus on which quality measures are most appropriate and applicable for people with IDD. Read our blog post to learn more about our work with IIDDEAL.
How Can PCO Measures Support People with IDD?
Healthcare for adults with IDD is fragmented, costly and may not reflect what matters most to them. Quality measures can help improve care, yet NCQA’s environmental scan for the IIDDEAL project found only two quality measures that focus on adults with IDD—and many measures that exclude this population.
“Narrowly focused clinical outcome measures fail to capture the full range of treatment needs for people with IDD,” says Seibert. “That’s why it’s important to focus on person-centered goals.”
What Are the Goals of the Project?
Funding from the WITH Foundation will help NCQA collaborate with self-advocates and IEC to refine and adapt the PCO measures and resources for practitioners serving adults with IDD.
The project has three goals:
- Equip practitioners with tailored tools and training to integrate the PCO approach.
- Empower adults with IDD to identify person-centered goals.
- Use PCO measures to assess care provided to adults with IDD.
NCQA will convene expert work groups that include individuals with IDD, caregivers, payers and clinicians serving adults with IDD to review updates to the PCO measures and resources and provide feedback. We will also develop online continuing education to show practitioners how to use the PCO measures and apply best practices for working with adults with IDD.
“We are working toward broad adoption of PCO measures and we’ve already incorporated them into some of our Accreditation and Recognition programs,” says Seibert. “We are grateful to the WITH Foundation for helping us advance the use of PCO measures to provide effective, high-quality, person-centered care for people with IDD.”
Learn more about NCQA’s PCO measures and their impact.
About the WITH Foundation
The WITH Foundation is committed to transforming healthcare to make it more inclusive and equitable for people with IDD. Since 2002, it has awarded over $17 million in funding to support organizations and projects that promote comprehensive and accessible healthcare for adults with IDD. Visit the WITH Foundation website to learn more.
