Greetings to NAHDO Quality Reporting Workgroup Members:
The NAHDO Team hopes all of you are having a relaxing summer and are managing to stay cool!
It's time to announce our next call and provide an update of quality reporting activities.
1. Next call, August 16, 2007 at 3 pm ET
2. NQF voting for Public Health/Community Health Council Leadership ends August 13.
3. NAHDO response to AHRQ's RFI for a National Health Data Steward Entity
4. NAHDO Annual Meeting: October 17 roundtables and October 18-19, 2007 General Sessions---Register Now
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1. Next call, August 16, 2007 at 3 - 4:30 pm ET
The next NAHDO Quality Workgroup call will be held:
August 16, 2007 at 3 pm E.T.
866-417-3499
passcode: 8015322299
Agenda for the Quality Workgroup Call:
Agenda item 1. Oregon's Consumer Website
The Office of Oregon Health Policy and Research's new website, was made public August 2, and publishes the payments for selected health care conditions or procedures in Oregon’s acute-care hospitals during 2005:
Sean Kolmer, OHPR Research and Data Manager will share highlights from this new web site presentation. The data were provided to the state by commercial health insurance carriers with earned premiums in excess of $50 million in Oregon.
The media report links are available through iHealthbeat article summary:
Agenda item 2: Mike Martin and staff from the Utah Office of Health Care Statistics will present the highlights of Utah's latest consumer report, also just released this week: http://health.utah.gov/myhealthcare/
Agenda item 3: CMS Payment Policies---an update
Pat Merryweather will update the workgroup on the latest CMS policies that have significant implications for data, documentation, coding, and payments---and for health data organizations that collect and use hospital discharge data.
Please join us for this workgroup call.
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2. NQF voting for Public Health/Community Health Council Leadership ends August 13.
REMINDERS FOR OUR NQF MEMBERS (NAHDO is an organizational member of NQF, as are some NAHDO members). Please don't forget to vote for Council Leadership positions.
Denise Love, NAHDO, is running for Vice-chair of the Public Health/Community Health Council and would appreciate your vote. Voting ends August 13. The leadership work in the Council will align with NAHDO Quality Workgroup activities. Denise has been a proponent of the NQF restructuring to add a stronger voice for state and private health data organizations within the NQF. States are at the forefront of using existing administrative data systems for quality measurement and have not had a unified voice at the NQF. We are hoping that this newly-formed Council will provide that voice. If you are a member of the NQF, and have not cast your vote, click here to access the ballot. To review the candidates for Chair and Vice-Chair, along with their nominating materials, prior to voting click here to access your Council page on the Members-Only section of the NQF web site. Please refer to the message sent to all Primary Representatives on July 23 for voting instructions and log-in information, and be sure to cast your vote by Monday, August 13, 2007, 6:00 pm, EDT.
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3. NAHDO response to AHRQ's RFI for a National Health Data Steward Entity
In summary, we believe that quality measurement and public reporting initiatives are early in their development and the industry and the public are benefitting from the diversity of and creativity in current approaches. Deeming a centralized entity will stifle innovation and has the potential to set us back ten years or so. The science is not mature enough to consolidate data resources and reporting in a single entity at this time. Also, we must guard against special-interest domination of data resources and reporting policies.
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4. NAHDO Annual Meeting: October 17 roundtables and October 18-19, 2007 General Sessions---Register Now
The agenda is almost final. Please plan to attend Interactive Roundtable Discussions October 17, the day prior to the general sessions. We will host the following roundtable discussions (others TBA):
--Quality reporting issues, including research and approaches for defining readmissions
--Implementation issues: what does it cost to collect/expand data collection? What are the facilitators and inhibitors?
--Data linkage methodologies (sponsored by CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking Network)
A networking dinner cruise is scheduled for October 18 following the general sessions, cost is extra. This is a great way to network with your peers and take in the beauty of San Diego.
We thank our sponsors: California HealthCare Foundation, the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, and Cardinal Health and our wonderful exhibitors for making this meeting possible.
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Denise Love
Executive Director
National Association of Health Data Organizations
448 East 400 South
Suite 301
Salt Lake City, Utah 84111
Phone: 801.532-2262
Fax: 801.532-2228
Join us for NAHDO's 22nd Annual Meeting
October 18-19, 2007
San Diego, California