Group calls for improved provider quality and error reporting

With reimbursement increasingly tied to quality and safety measures, it's imperative providers have best practices in place, according to a “call to action” released by a healthcare quality group.

The National Association of Healthcare Quality's statement, released Tuesday, encourages providers to instill a culture of safety and implement evaluation processes. Doing so is “not only good medical practice but also good business, especially as accountable care organizations, which tie reimbursements to quality measures, are becoming more prevalent in the market,” said Susan Goodwin, MSN, the NAHQ immediate past president, in a statement.

Quality improvement initiatives have been increasingly promoted for priority for long-term care operators. And it will become more important for acute-care providers looking to partner with quality post-acute operators, health policy experts say.

The NAHQ offered several recommendations. They include:

·      Recognizing and praising employees that make “good catches” that prevent errors

·      Establish explicit error reporting policies and formulate a response plan

·      Ensure an accurate and transparent data collection system

·      Foster an environment of teamwork and communication.

Click here for more information from the association's website.