The Department of Health and Human Service (HHS) has released a national quality strategy that is aimed at establishing priorities at local, state and national levels toward improving quality healthcare. The move was called for under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) a year ago.
The strategy is designed to incorporate the evidence-based results of the latest research and scientific advances in clinical medicine, public health and healthcare delivery. It also calls for fostering "a delivery system that works better for clinicians and provider organizations--reducing their administrative burdens and helping them collaborate to improve care," according to a report to Congress released Monday.
Principles developed with input by stakeholders across the healthcare system will drive the strategy, including federal and state agencies, local communities, provider organizations, clinicians, patients, businesses, employers, and payers.
The strategy focuses on three specific areas:
- Better care by improving overall quality and by making healthcare more patient-centered, reliable, accessible and safe.
- Healthy people and communities through improving the health of the population and by supporting proven interventions to address behavioral, social, and environmental determinants of healthcare.
- Affordable care through reducing the cost of quality healthcare for individuals, families, employers, and government.
The new quality strategy is to work in tandem with other provisions included in healthcare reform, such as the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which will test innovative care and service delivery models to see if they will improve care quality of care and reduce program expenditures for Medicare and Medicaid.
For more details:
- see the HHS report
Recent Articles:
HHS taking comments on planned National Health Security Strategy
Reform bill sets rules on quality reporting, administrative simplification