CONTACT:Alwyn Cassil
February 22, 2000
202/331-5790, ext. 311

Washington, DC-- Today, the American Health Quality Association (AHQA) responded to the Clinton administration's Quality Interagency Coordination Task Force (QuIC) proposal to utilize the Peer Review Organizations (PROs) as key partners in reducing medical errors.AHQA represents the national network of PROs.

President Clinton accepted the QuIC's proposed concept of a national demonstration project to reduce medical errors.The project builds on the PROs' current national error reduction program, which minimizes the administrative burden on hospitals.

"President Clinton has recognized the quality improvement abilities of PROs by choosing them to be national leaders in his plan to address medical errors," stated William E. Golden, MD, FACP, the president of AHQA. "This shows that the president is justifiably proud of the PROsí achievements.His administration has invested wisely in making PROs the health care quality experts they are."

"AHQA is disappointed, however, that the QuIC's recommendations stop at demonstration projects. While President Clinton appropriately calls on the National Quality Forum and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to develop new measures for identifying medical errors, he requires that the PROs run only a demonstration project involving up to 100 hospitals."The PROs currently partner with 6,000 hospitals in a national error reduction program that shares best practices and assures strict confidentiality of medical information.

"Given the significance of medical errors and the availability of the national PRO network, President Clinton should take advantage of the PROs to implement the new error reduction system in all 6,000 hospitals," stated David G. Schulke, AHQA's executive vice president.

The PROs possess a well-established track record for working with the medical community to improve care. AHQA recently published a report called "A Pillar of Quality" that highlighted the results of 500 projects, such as:

• Heart attack deaths reduced by 10 percent;
  
• Diabetes complications (blindness, amputation, kidney failure, and death) decreased;
  
• 285 strokes prevented by increased use of anticoagulants (blood thinners);
  
• Pneumonia complications and death lowered by giving patients antibiotics within four hours of hospitalization; and,
  
• Flu immunizations increased among African-Americans.

"I am very encouraged that the president has asked the PROs to play such an integral part in leading the national effort to reduce medical errors," added Golden. "The American public should feel confident that the PROs will succeed in improving their health care as well as making it more reliable."

Congress established the PROs in 1983 to investigate cases of poor quality care. During the 1990s, the PRO system evolved to become a national network of quality improvement experts who systematically evaluate the delivery of health care in a region and institute projects to educate and alter the clinical behavior of institutions, health professionals, and patients.

PROs are staffed with clinical experts, communication experts, and data and statistical professionals who work together to analyze and collaborate with the health care system in their communities. PROs work individually with hospital staffs and physiciansí offices. They are also increasingly engaged with home health care systems, nursing homes, academic health centers, and community groups, such as heart associations and cancer coalitions.

AHQA plans to continue its work with Congress and the administration as this plan and possible legislation evolves.

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TheAmerican Health Quality Association is a national, not-for-profit membership association of independent, community-based Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) representing the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. QIOs work collaboratively with health care practitioners, health plans, and hospitals, to analyze health care patterns, to identify opportunities for improvement, and to interpret and share information about current science and best practices with physicians, hospitals, and health plans.

To obtain a copy of the QuIC's proposal.

For a copy of AHQA's "A Pillar of Quality", please call Sara Foer at 202-261-7571.