NCQA launches DM certification program
NCQA launches DM certification program
MCOs, pharma companies, hospitals signing up
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in Washington, DC, has launched its new disease management (DM) accreditation and certification programs. NCQA will extend automatic credit on selected standards to managed care organizations that have earned NCQA DM accreditation and certification, thus reducing their respective oversight costs. To date, nearly 20 organizations have agreed to participate in the programs, including the world’s largest DM organization, several of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, a hospital system, and leading HMOs.
"There’s tremendous promise in disease management," said NCQA president Margaret E. O’Kane, announcing the new programs. "NCQA’s new approach to accreditation and certification is well-suited to helping the best of these organizations thrive."
Guidelines extremely detailed
The NCQA guidelines cover more than 150 pages, with detailed explanations of the requirements, term definitions, and in many cases, examples to be followed. Here is a brief overview of several key categories:
Patient Service:
- patient program information;
- patient participation;
- patient interventions;
- feedback to patients;
- patients’ rights and responsibilities;
- general practitioner program information.
Practitioner Service:
- practitioner program information;
- practitioner interventions;
- feedback to practitioners;
- practitioners’ rights;
- general patient program information.
Measurement and Quality Improvement:
- specific measurements;
- feedback from patients;
- feedback from practitioners;
- quality improvement — accreditation.
Clinical Systems:
- patient identification;
- stratification and assessment;
- coordination and information;
- confidentiality, privacy, and security procedures;
- patient safety.
"Disease management has grown considerably during the past several years, and with that growth has come varying degrees of quality," noted Sandeep Wadhwa, MD, vice president of San Francisco-based McKesson Health Solutions when announcing his firm’s participation in the program. "It has been difficult to validate quality in the disease management industry, and we are, therefore, excited to participate in this effort. Accreditation will help ensure quality throughout the field."
[For more information on disease management accreditation and certification, contact NCQA at (888) 275-7585, or visit the NCQA web site at www.ncqa.org.]
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