Washington Health Beat
Nov. 20, 2001

QIOs Role In New Quality Order In announcing the new nursing home initiative this morning, HHS said the new ratings will be promoted by Quality Improvement Organizations (formerly Medicare PROs) as well as on the Web. QIOs "will actively help people to better use the quality performance data by making sure that their interests and priorities are reflected in these new efforts to improve the quality of care," HHS said. Executive VP David Schulke of the American Health Quality Associations, which represents QIOs, said that success of the initiative depends on the ability of QIOs to help consumers and providers use the data. "QIOs will provide data to nursing homes to help them assess the quality of their services compared to other local facilities and national standards." Schulke said. "QIOs also will provide guidance on quality improvement techniques, as well as information on best practices of other providers. This kind of sharing dramatically speeds the adoption of quality-enhancing techniques, compared to what happens when providers are left entirely to their own devices to figure out what is wrong and what they can do about it." HHS's decision "to make quality information available to consumers may motivate many more nursing facilities to work closely with QIOs, further expediting the pace of improvement," Schulke said. He also noted that QIOs and nursing homes are already working together in 26 states. Existing projects seek a variety of improvements, including reducing bed sores, reducing falls, increasing immunizations, improving care for chronic disease, and improving pain management at the end of life. AHQA board member William Golden, MD, cautioned reporters at the HHS briefing this morning that "it will be important in the beginning not to make quick judgments about facilities with difficult numbers but rather to assess their response to this information over time."