Quality

Review efforts to measure and reduce potentially avoidable hospitalization and improve care transitions for individuals who use long-term care. Three areas in which progress is needed are described. The authors conclude with questions deserving more research to fill gaps in knowledge on how best to improve care quality. You can also visit the LTQA website link for more information on the Quality Alliance.

Interested in how self-directed options in the 1915(c) Medicaid Aged and Disabled Waiver program are succeeding? In June of 2008 PPL, a nationwide company that provides financial management and supports for self-directed programs, conducted a survey of all 241 participants enrolled in Personal Options for the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services. The attached report, includes results and summary.

The purpose of this report is fourfold: 1) to present a brief overview of the results of the Systems Change grants awarded from FY 2001 through FY 2004, 2) to describe the remaining challenges to community living that Grantees identified, 3) to provide Grantees’ recommendations for actions needed at the state and federal level to further improve their long-term care systems, and 4) to discuss the key lessons learned regarding factors that are needed to improve states’ long-term care systems.

CMS awarded the fourth round of 3-year grants for RCSC in Sept 2004. Three categories of grants were awarded: Research and Demonstration grants (40), Technical Assistance grants (10), and Feasibility Study and Development grants (2). This report focuses on the outcomes and Enduring Systems Improvements in Housing, Comprehensive Systems Reform, Mental Health Systems Transformation, Quality, Rebalancing, and Family to Family Grantees.

Outcome data in the treatment of mental health and substance use are scarce, making quality improvement difficult. This report describes how Medicaid claims data can be combined with service-level data to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of services provided in community mental health centers (CMHCs). It describes how CMHCs in three States have used a particular system, Service Process Quality Management (SPQM), to improve quality and achieve cost savings.

Risk management embraces all the decisions we make and activities we undertake with the intent of improving our health and safety and the environment. This document consists of excerpts from the 2007 Michigan Department of Community Health Contract Requirements for Care Management Performance Criteria and Waiver Program Operating Standards. Review this protocol as an example.

RTI is preparing a series of reports to document outcomes from the Systems Change grants. Divided into six parts, the first four provide an overview of the enduring improvements, continuing challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations of the 48 Research & Demonstration Grantees, organized by the four types of grants: CPASS, MFP, IP, & QA/QI. Part 5 provides summaries of the FTF Grants. Part 6 reviews the Respite for Adults and Children and Community-Based Treatment Alternatives for Children.

NASHP identified 10 leading state quality improvement partnerships - interrelated broad-based partnerships, mostly with public and private sector representation, which have long-term, statewide, systemic quality improvement strategic intent, and transparent agendas. This issue brief summarizes results of NASHP's full report that examines these partnerships in Colorado, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

More than 130 policymakers, health services researchers, practitioners, and policy experts discussed the measures and evidence to examine whether the expansion of home and community-based services has produced desired outcomes (quality, choice, cost, satisfaction and safety) in the long term for older adults and persons with disabilities. The day was divided into four sessions: (quality, consumer-direction, targeting candidates, determining cost-effectiveness). View the agenda and presentations.

Massachusetts assesses the service providers it licenses and certifies based on quality of life areas (such as the degree to which consumer choice and control is supported) and organizational outcomes. The reports can be used to understand quality of services and to inform consumers of the array of options available. Agencies are listed alphabetically by region and each report’s executive summary describes services offered.