News & Events

November 3, 2003

Connecticut Launches its Role in the Federal Home Health Quality Initiative

Consumers Now Have Quality Data for Making More Informed Health Care Decisions

Middletown, CT, November 3, 2003 - - Qualidigm today announced the launch of the Home Health Quality Initiative (HHQI) in Connecticut to provide consumers with access to new, objective quality information about home health agencies in the state. The new initiative is led by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHQI is national effort to improve the quality of care given to millions of Americans who use home health care services across the country

“A key step towards improving quality is getting consumers the information they need to make informed health care choices,” said CMS Administrator Tom Scully. “By generating and publishing quality data, we are helping consumers to make decisions that best meet their needs and creating incentives for home health agencies to further improve quality.”

Approximately 47,500 elderly and disabled Americans received care from Connecticut’s Medicare-certified home health agencies in 2002. Qualidigm, an independent quality improvement organization (QIO) under contract with CMS, is working with local home health agencies, the Connecticut Association for Home Care (CAHC), the Visiting Nurse Associations of New England (VNANE), and the Department of Public Health to improve the quality of care provided by home health agencies. In addition, Qualidigm is charged with assisting consumers to understand and utilize performance data.

“We are pleased to be collaborating with Connecticut’s home health agencies and their representative organizations, CAHC, and VNANE to continually improve the care provided by home health agency staff,” said Anne Elwell, Director of Medicare Quality Improvement, Qualidigm. “We applaud their commitment to quality improvement.”

The Home Health Quality Initiative is part of an ongoing HHS Quality Initiative that also focuses on improving the quality of care in nursing homes and hospitals. The data released today involve 11 quality measures chosen from among 41 Outcomes and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) measures that have been used by home health agencies since 1999. They include four measures related to improvement in getting around, four measures related to improvement in meeting basic daily needs, two measures related to medical emergencies, and one measure related to mental health improvement.

“These quality measures should be used as an additional resource when making decisions about a home health agency or assessing the quality of care that a loved one is receiving,” said Scully. “Use these measures as an opportunity to discuss the care provided by the home health agency and address not only the areas of care covered by the quality measures but all services as well.”

The Home Health Quality Initiative is a four-pronged effort that consists of
· Regulation and enforcement activities conducted by state survey agencies and CMS
· Improved consumer information on the quality of care provided by home health agencies
· Continual, community-based quality improvement programs for home health agencies
· Collaboration and partnership to leverage knowledge and resources

CMS consulted with HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to identify appropriate quality measures for this initiative. The measures were chosen with input from measurement experts and a diverse group of home health professionals, clinicians and stakeholders.

The complete quality data, along with other consumer information on home health agencies in Connecticut, are available at Home Health Compare located on Medicare’s consumer Web site, www.medicare.gov, and through Medicare’s 24-hour help line at 1.800.MEDICARE (1.800.633.4227).

ABOUT QUALIDIGM:

Qualidigm® is a nationally recognized industry leader in measuring and improving the quality of health care. A private, nonprofit quality improvement organization, Qualidigm participates in numerous national and local initiatives, some of which include patient safety, public reporting, and applied research into the delivery of quality health services. Qualidigm is driven by the vision “healthy people and outstanding health care delivery.” Qualidigm partners with health care providers and public and private sector groups to make this vision a reality.

For further information, please contact:
Qualidigm
Allyson Schulz

Telephone: 860.632.6361