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In 2001, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly the Institute of Medicine (IoM), reported serious quality gaps in the U.S. health system, identified the six dimensions of quality in healthcare, and identified the need to apply new technology safely to improve the quality of health services. Since this reportand in the face of high healthcare costs, an aging population, and the need to apply scientific and systematic approaches to improve the quality and safety of healthcarethe U.S. healthcare system is experiencing tremendous changes. Safety, quality of care, and healthcare consumer satisfaction are at the forefront of healthcare organizations goals.
The triple objectives of healthcare improvement in the country are as follows:
- To improve experience of care
- To reduce per capita cost
- To improve population health outcomes
Healthcare organizations are implementing quality improvement programs to achieve these objectives. Funding and regulatory agencies are initiating standards and providing financial incentives to facilitate the achievement of these objectives, too. For instance, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) supports health services research to promote quality of care and evidence-based decision making. The National Quality Forum (NQF) improves the quality of care by setting national priorities and goals for performance improvement, supports education, and creates outreach programs.
As part of a broader quality strategy to the delivery of health services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the pay-for-performance program, or value-based healthcare. Many see this approach as transformational. The program reimburses health organizations based on the quality (value) of care, cost, and outcomes of service rather than the volume or the number of patients. The following are included in CMSs approach:
- Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program
- Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP)
- Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program
For each program, CMS compares performance data annually from individual hospitals with national data, and payment rates are adjusted as incentive for better performance.
As a healthcare manager, you will lead your team to establish standards and use technologies to provide safe, effective, and high-quality patient care. However, it is necessary to identify the key stakeholders in the healthcare organizationpatients, care providers, and payersand to understand their interests and perception of quality. In addition to performance and professional standards, stakeholder expectations are important.
Please address the following questions in your response:
- What is quality improvement synonymous with?
- What is one of the steps in process improvement?
- What does technology support to enhance quality improvement?
- What function do the CMS value-based programs and quality metrics perform?
- What factors are part of the CMS value-based programs?
- What do the CMS quality metrics include?
- What are the eight measurements for the patient- and caregiver-centered experience?
- How is the value-based approach affecting health organizations?
- What legislation supports the value-based program?
Submitting your assignment in APA format means, at a minimum, you will need the following:
- Title page: Remember the running head. The title should be in all capitals.
- Length: 3 pages minimum
- Abstract: This is a summary of your paper, not an introduction. Begin writing in third person.
- Body: This begins on the page following the title page and abstract page and must be double-spaced (be careful not to triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs). The typeface should be 12-pt. Times Roman or 12-pt. Courier in regular black type. Do not use color, bold type, or italics, except as required for APA-level headings and references. The deliverable length of the body of your paper for this assignment is 5 pages. In-body academic citations to support your decisions and analysis are required. A variety of academic sources is encouraged.
- Reference page: References that align with your in-body academic sources are listed on the final page of your paper. The references must be in APA format using appropriate spacing, hanging indent, italics, and uppercase and lowercase usage as appropriate for the type of resource used. Remember, the Reference page is not a bibliography but a further listing of the abbreviated in-body citations used in the paper. Every referenced item must have a corresponding in-body citation.
