ABSTRACT
Our health-care system is burdened with high costs, health-care disparities, overtreatment, undertreatment, high error rates, and fraud and abuse. At the same time, the United States has achieved spectacular medical advances using the latest technology. As a result, health-care quality measurement, publicly reported patient safety and quality indicators, and evaluation of patients' experience of care are watchwords of a new era of accountability for health-care professionals and organizations. The health-care industry is subject to increasing regulation, private sector challenges, and public demand to make significant improvements in all three components of the quality triad: structure, process, and outcome. This article examines regulatory initiatives and industry trends pertaining to patient safety and quality measurement and concludes with specific suggestions for the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology.
KEYWORDS
Patient safety - quality indicators - pay-for-performance - medical errors
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APPENDIX A USEFUL WEB SITES
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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
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www.ahrq.gov
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The American Hospital Association (AHA)
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www.aha.org
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The American Speech-Language Hearing Association
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www.asha.org
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Bridges to Excellence
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www.bridgestoexcellence.org
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
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www.cms.hhs.gov
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The Commonwealth Fund
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www.cmwf.org
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HealthGrades
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www.healthgrades.com
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Hospital CAHPS
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www.ahrq.gov/qual/cahps/hcahpfact.htm
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Hospital Compare
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www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov
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Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
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www.ihi.org
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Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM)
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www.iom.edu
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Integrated Healthcare Association
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www.iha.org
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Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO)
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www.jcaho.org
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Leapfrog Group
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www.leapfroggroup.org
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Medical Errors and Patient Safety (AHRQ)
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ahrq.gov/qual/errorsix.htm
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National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA)
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www.ncqa.org
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National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG)
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www.jcaho.org
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National Quality Forum (NQF)
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www.qualityforum.org
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Patient Safety Network (PSNet)
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http://psnet.ahrq.gov
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PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)
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www.pwc.com
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The RAND Corporation (RAND Health)
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www.rand.org
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Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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www.rwjf.org
Becky Sutherland CornettPh.D.
Associate Compliance Director, The Ohio State University Medical Center
410 W. Tenth Ave, Rm. N143 DN, Columbus OH 43210
Email: Becky.Cornett@osumc.edu
