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In the 9th Statement of Work (SOW), the Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provides QIOs with guidance for
improving healthcare through the use of the 9th SOW
healthcare themes.
Businesses can partner with QIOs to help improve
healthcare for Medicare beneficiaries by
assisting QIOs to achieve the goals of the 9th SOW.
The synergy of CMS, businesses, healthcare providers,
and QIOs has the potential to improve healthcare for
Medicare beneficiaries more profoundly than the efforts
of any single entity.
In August 2008, CMS awarded 9th SOW contracts for a
national network of QIOs located in each of the 50 U.S.
states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the
Virgin Islands to participate in Medicare's QIO Program. The 9th SOW focuses on improving the quality and safety of
health care services to Medicare beneficiaries. The QIO contracts extend from
August 1, 2008, through July 31, 2011, and mark a new direction for the QIO
Program.
The 9th SOW builds on the Administration’s health care quality improvement
initiatives and a growing evidence base about how to improve the quality and
efficiency of health care delivery. It also implements several recommendations
from the Institute of Medicine, the Government Accountability Office, and
members of Congress about how the QIO Program can deliver maximum benefit to
patients at the greatest value to the government. The new contracts also
provide additional tools for CMS and the QIOs themselves to track, monitor, and
report on the impact that QIOs have on the care provided in their
states/jurisdictions.
Under the 9th SOW, QIOs are focusing on six Themes:
In addition, QIOs are helping CMS promote three overarching themes:
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Adopt value-driven healthcare
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Support the adoption and use of health information technology (HIT)
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Reduce health disparities in their communities.
QIOs are focusing on the following priorities:
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Protecting the rights of beneficiaries who are concerned about the quality of
their care;
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Improving the safety of care in America’s nursing homes and hospitals as part
of the National Patient Safety Initiative (NPSI);
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Increasing the use of screenings for breast and colon cancer and vaccinations
for flu and pneumonia by leveraging innovations in HIT;
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Reducing gaps in the quality of care for minority patients with diabetes by
empowering patients to control their disease through self-management training;
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Slowing the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure; and
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Coordinating care across all types of providers, settings, and levels to ensure
better patient care.
A Guide for QIOs & Partners
9th SOW Announcement
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