How to find resources for designing measures
How to find resources for designing measures
You don’t have to start from zero to launch a successful outcomes measuring system. A comprehensive storehouse of information awaits you at the National Committee for Quality Assurance in Washington, DC. Make it your first stop in plotting your outcomes measures program.
This nonprofit agency’s mission is to serve health providers and consumers with uniform standards for measuring and comparing the quality of care. As an independent watchdog organization, the national committee is an accrediting body for health maintenance organizations (HMOs). It’s recognized as the leader in developing standard measures of the quality of care provided by HMOs. The Medicare and Medicaid programs also use outcomes measures developed by the committee.
The national committee developed a set of performance measures, the Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS), for managed care plans. The information set measures a range of health issues, including the effectiveness of breast cancer prevention and care. The measures have been validated, and the national committee reports that large employers routinely request HEDIS from their health plans.
Check the following sources for information on developing outcomes measures:
• National Committee for Quality Assurance, 2000 L St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036. Telephone: (202) 955-3500. Fax: (202) 955-3599. World Wide Web: http://www.ncqa.org.
The committee publishes technical guidelines to help facilities set up hardware and software systems to measure outcomes. It also has names of outcomes measurement experts who can consult on projects. Costs for reports and manuals range from $500 to $3,200.
• Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. National Library of Healthcare Indicators. Sharon Sprenger, Director of Research, One Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. Telephone: (630) 792-5968. Fax: (630) 792-5644. World Wide Web: http://www.jcaho.org/perfmeas/oryx/oryx_frm.htm.
The national library is an indexed listing of 225 measures, including patient satisfaction, maternity care, and stage of cervical cancer at diagnosis. The cost is $25.
• Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, 2101 E. Jefferson St., Rockville, MD 20852. Telephone: (301) 594-1364, Ext. 0. Fax: (301) 594-2283. World Wide Web: http://www. ahcpr.gov.
The agency publishes free clinical guidelines for developing outcomes measures.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Birth Defects and Genetic Diseases Branch, Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, National Center for Environmental Health, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Mail Stop F-45, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724. Telephone: (770) 488-7160. Fax: (770) 488-7197. E-mail: [email protected]. World Wide Web: http://www.cdc.gov.
The CDC provides free copies of research studies supporting use of preventive inter-ventions for birth defects, such as taking folic acid during childbearing years, smoking cessation, and avoidance of alcohol during pregnancy.
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