Quality and Patient Safety

HCAHPS Learning Network: Training and Discussion Forum

The Indiana Hospital Association has partnered with the American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Educational Trust (HRET) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to design an HCAHPS curriculum to help member hospitals effectively use HCAHPS results for improving quality, safety and the patient experience. With the imminent implementation of value-based purchasing, as well as research demonstrating the link between the patient experience and other critical hospital metrics, HCAHPS is becoming increasingly important to hospitals. This curriculum provides a wealth of practical tools and resources to help organizations achieve new levels of performance on HCAHPS, while creating a better experience for patients, families and staff. The five-month curriculum consisted of three teleconferences, a full-day onsite workshop, a comparative HCAHPS assessment report and ongoing dialogue and support.

Final Rules Released: Quality Measurement Table Updated
On Nov. 1, CMS released three final rules for calendar year 2012: the outpatient prospective payment system (PPS) and ambulatory surgical center (ASC) rule, the physician fee schedule (PFS) rule, and the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) PPS rule. IHA revised the quality measurement table to include revisions made in the outpatient, ASC and ESRD rules.

The rules include several favorable provisions for hospitals. CMS suspended the inclusion of the hospital-acquired condition measures (HAC), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) composite measures, and efficiency measures in the FY 2014 hospital value-based purchasing (VBP) program. In addition, the agency extends through 2012 the period of non-enforcement of the direct supervision requirements for outpatient therapeutic services for critical access hospitals (CAH) and small rural hospitals.

Indiana Resources:

MONAHRQ
IHA Offers AHRQ Software for Tracking Quality and Public Reporting
IHA is pleased to announce the release of the MONAHRQ website for Indiana hospitals. Powered by the web-based public reporting software from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), IHA has customized the application with the inpatient discharge study data collected from Indiana hospitals. You can access the IHA MONAHRQ web-based application by clicking here.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
IHA partnered with AHRQ's National Partnership Network to bring IHA members national quality resources including comparative effectiveness research.

Indiana Patient Safety Center
The Indiana Patient Safety Center is a valuable resource for Indiana Hospitals. It offers tools, education, training, and other resources to support hospitals in achieving better patient outcomes, enhanced safety, increased satisfaction, and improved operational and financial performance.

Health Care Excel, Inc.
Health Care Excel, Inc. is a nonprofit health care consulting company established in 1974 for the purpose of providing clinically based, objective, and independent monitoring of the quality, appropriateness, and medical necessity of health care services. Serving clients in the private sector and federal and state governments.

IHA Wristband Toolkit
This toolkit is designed to help with the implementation of standardized patient alert wristband colors. IHA recommends all hospitals consider using six standard colors for alert wristbands to improve patient safety.

Participant List: WHO Surgical Safety Checklist
Find a list of IHA members who have tested the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist. IHA and IHI are challenging hospitals to test the checklist in one operating room, by one surgical team, one time before April 1. Contact Jennifer Hurtubise at 317-423-7733 or jhurtubise@ihaconnect.org when your hospital has tested the checklist to have your hospital added to the IHA list.

Indiana Health Information Exchange
The Indiana Health Information Exchange provides clinical messaging services that streamline the health care industry by delivering critical information at the point-of-care.

Public Reporting:

Indiana Medical Error Reporting System
Indiana implemented the medical error reporting system to reduce the frequency of medical errors, reveal the causes of medical errors, and empower health care professionals to prevent errors before patients are harmed.

Hospital Compare
This quality tool is available to the public and compares outcomes for patients with certain medical conditions or for certain surgical procedures. Additionally, the results from HCAPHS—a survey of patients about their experience is also available through the Hospital Compare Web site.

The Leapfrog Group
Leapfrog’s public reporting initiatives offer benchmarking capabilities to hospitals and provide consumers and purchasers of health care with information on the quality and safety of their hospitals.

HealthGrades
HealthGrades provides ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes, and physicians to consumers, corporations, health plans, and hospitals. Millions of consumers use HealthGrades' independent ratings to make health care decisions.

Consumers Checkbook
Consumers Checkbook is a nonprofit consumer organization. The Center publishes national guides, including Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees, Guide to Top Doctors, and Consumers’ Guide to Hospitals. These guides are available in book form and online.

Accrediting Bodies:

Det Norske Veritas Healthcare Inc.
American Osteopathic Association
The Joint Commission

Other Resources:
Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
National Quality Forum
AHRQ Innovations Exchange
QualityNet

Safety contact: Betsy Lee, director, Indiana Patient Safety Center, at 317-423-7795 or blee@ihaconnect.org.

Quality contact: Kathy Wallace, director of performance improvement, at 317-423-7740 or kwallace@ihaconnect.org.

Quality Reporting

NQF Safe Practices Guide

HealthGrades Hospital Quality Study

Guidance on Public Reporting of Hospital Acquired Infections

Public Reporting and Transparency

Safety Leadership White Papers

Increasing Efficiency and Enhancing Value in Health Care

Ways to Achieve Savings in Operating Costs per Year

IHI Idealized Perinatal Care 2005

IHI Seven Leadership Leverage Points 2008

IHI Execution of Strategic Improvement Initiatives 2007

IHI Engaging Physicians 2007