FACCT releases quality measures

The Foundation for Accountability (FACCT), a Portland, OR-based coalition of health care purchasers and ^{consumer organizations, has released its first set of quality measures aimed at making it easier to evaluate health care plans and providers.}

^{These measures will allow comparisons of how well medical groups or health plans treat three common and potentially devastating conditions diabetes, breast cancer, and major depression.}

^{Each set includes eight quality measures that fall into three major categories: steps to good care, satisfaction, and results.}

^{"We do not plan to issue report cards’ like the NCQA [National Committee for Quality Assurance]" explains Judy Graham, director of communications for FACCT, which represents 70 million Americans. "We are trying to come up with the best possible measures for health plan performance, but we won’t talk about financial status, business aspects, other information purchasers might want for a broad overview of performance. Our hope is that these [measures] will be incorporated as one information element."}