Quality measures produce numbers so bean-counters are satisfied at CMS.

For example: Before i was not submitting any quality measures, but my patient satisfaction was sky high, and i had the lowest complications for years.

Now i report quality measures, but as a result of documentation requisites and reporting requirements, i have less time to see patients , and therefore make more mistakes.

My quality measures are good because I'm talking to patients about quitting smoking and getting leaner - but i was already doing that previously. Now objectively, since I now have less time due to EMR requisites, my patients are worse off than before and it shows with slightly more complications my patient's aren't as happy as their waiting times are longer (and getting worse too).