UPDATE: Public Comments Requested for URAC's Revised Case Management Accreditation...

UPDATE: Public Comments Requested for URAC's Revised Case Management
Accreditation Standards and Measures
Draft Version 4.0 includes input from 40-member Case Management Focus Group

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- URAC, one of the nation's
leading independent accrediting organizations, called for public comment today
on revisions to its draft Case Management accreditation standards and proposed
measures. URAC is seeking input from any interested parties, including
purchasers, policy makers, consumers, health care management organizations and
health plans. The deadline for public comment is Oct. 2, 2008.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030501/URACLOGO )
URAC initially called for public comment on the revised Case Management
standards in April 2008, but determined that additional input was needed to
ensure that the current issues affecting the field of case management were
addressed in the revised standards. A focus group of more than 40 volunteers
in the field of case management was also called upon to assist the URAC Health
Standards Committee in the revision process.
Among the issues addressed as part of the revision are principles relating
to care transitions. URAC serves on the Advisory Task Force of the National
Transitions of Care Coalition (NTOCC). NTOCC brings together thought leaders,
patient advocates, and health care providers from various care settings in an
effort to improve the quality of care coordination and communication when
patients are transferred from one level of care to another. Revisions to
URAC's proposed Case Management standards elaborate on the assessment process
and tools an organization makes available during care transitions.
Other changes to the proposed standards include promoting evidence-based
case management practices, where goals established for consumers include
clinical outcomes; and addressing additional patient safety issues such as
medication management. The new standards also update and clarify case
management and staff training to include training in evidence-based tools and
care plans, as well as qualifications for case managers and case management
supervisors. The role of non-case managers in the overall case management
process is also addressed.
The revised case management accreditation program proposes to require
organizations to produce and report to URAC on a specified set of performance
measures on a periodic basis. These measures can be used for internal
organizational performance improvement and for reporting to customers or
direct reporting to the public. In the future, URAC's accreditation process
will include public reporting of these measures. The draft measures include
service dimensions for health care, behavioral health, and workers
compensation, as well as consumer experience, engagement, and satisfaction.
"Transitions in care are a critical juncture in the patient's treatment
process. They require coordination and good communication between providers
to ensure patient safety and optimal care," said Cheri Lattimer, executive
director of the Case Management Society of America and NTOCC project director.
"URAC's draft standards support the ongoing efforts of case managers to make
transitions safer and to improve quality in the case management process."
The standards are available for review at
http://www.urac.org/publiccomment/. URAC will only accept comments through
this online comment form. After public comment, additional revisions will be
made. Final draft standards and measures are expected to be reviewed by URAC's
Board of Directors in December 2008.
"URAC's standards revision process aims to bring all stakeholders to the
table to tap into industry expertise and current practice in the field. As
part of that process, we are dedicated to carefully evaluating every public
comment we receive," said Douglas Metz, DC, chairman of URAC's Health
Standards Committee and chief health services officer for American Specialty
Health. "Case management addresses some of the most complicated health care
management needs of patients in the health care system. URAC's standards
underscore the importance of ongoing quality improvement efforts and patient
safety protocols within case management organizations."
About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in
promoting health care quality through its accreditation and education
programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and
services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and
provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment
to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure
and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all
stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for
the entire health care industry. For more information, visit
http://www.urac.org.
SOURCE URAC

Karla Hurter, +1-703-319-0957, khurter@health2resources.com, for URAC