For Immediate Release
Contact: Jonathan Gilad
Phone: 571-989-4173
Email: Jgilad@ahqa.org
Millions of Medicare Beneficiaries Benefit from QIO Program Work Across the Country
2016 Progress Report Shows Achievements in Care Coordination and Quality Improvement
McLean, Virginia – Millions of Medicare beneficiaries from across the country benefited from the vital work of the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program in 2016. Contracted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), 14 Quality Innovation Network (QIN)-QIOs work regionally with providers and communities to improve the quality of care of Medicare beneficiaries. The breadth, depth, and scope of the Program’s work is detailed in the 2016 QIO Program Progress Report, released last week.
A few highlights from the report include (all numbers are for 2016):
- Over 24,300 readmissions to hospitals avoided (with 350 communities engaged on how to reduce readmissions affecting a potential 23 million beneficiaries).
- 27,850+ Medicare beneficiaries completed Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME).
- 3.7 million Medicare beneficiaries impacted through education and outreach about the importance of immunization.
- Over 544,250 Pneumonia and flu immunizations administrated by clinicians and healthcare practices participating in the QIO Program.
- Approximately 662,750 medication errors avoided.
- 1.2 million Beneficiaries at high risk for an adverse drug event (ADE) screened, avoiding medication regime problems and unnecessary pain.
These numbers emphasize the extraordinary impact QIN-QIOs have on improving the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries, which also reduces costs to CMS and the federal government.
“The 2016 Progress Report crystalizes the importance of the QIN-QIO network and why the QIO Program is the pre-eminent quality improvement program throughout the federal government. Thousands of practices and healthcare providers participate in the QIO Program, ensuring that we are on the ground working with almost every community across the country,” said Jane Brock, MD, MSPH, president of the American Health Quality Association (AHQA), the leading trade association for QIN-QIOs.
“The QIO Program helps put patients first by improving the quality of care people receive as part of Medicare. It’s thanks to the QIN-QIOs’ infrastructure that we continue to see advancement on all fronts in quality improvement for Medicare beneficiaries,” said Alison Teitelbaum, MS, MPH, CAE, executive director of AHQA.
The 14 QIN-QIOs work with providers, community partners, and Medicare beneficiaries to improve patient safety, reduce health care disparities, and other multiple, data-driven quality improvement measures. Separately, two Beneficiary and Family-Centered Care-QIOs (BFCC-QIOs) address all beneficiary concerns, quality of care reviews, and appeals under the QIO Program. This report shows the achievements that were made across the various clinical focus areas that have been laid out by CMS for the QIO Program.
Since 1984 the American Health Quality Association (AHQA) has represented Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) and other professionals working to improve health care quality and patient safety. AHQA is an educational, not-for-profit national membership association dedicated to promoting and facilitating fundamental change that improves the quality of health care in America.