URAC and CARF International Announce New Survey Tool for Health Care Case Management...

URAC and CARF International Announce New Survey Tool for Health Care Case
Management Studies

Reporting System Provides Information to Improve Quality of Programs and
Services Offered to Consumers

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- URAC, a leading health care accreditation
and education organization, and CARF International, an independent accreditor
of health and human service providers, today announced a new tool for case
management professionals. The Participant Experience Survey for Case
Management (PESCM) will help evaluate and improve the quality of health care
programs and services offered to consumers.

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"This innovative tool will provide organizations the information they need to
ensure they are offering the best services to consumers," said Alan P.
Spielman, president and CEO of URAC. "The tool also empowers consumers to play
a role in their health care by giving them a way to give specific and direct
feedback to case managers."

Developed using CARF's proven data and reporting system, uSPEQ, the PESCM is a
confidential, anonymous, and scientifically-tested reporting system that
gathers participants' experiences with their case management program. In turn,
providers can use the reported information to improve the quality of their
programs and services and monitor outcomes.

"The PESCM is a powerful, flexible tool that is customized to an
organization's specific settings and populations," said Brian Boone, president
and CEO of CARF International. "Hearing the voice of consumers in an
organization is essential to ensuring high quality services. The anonymity
offered by the survey tool will ensure consumer privacy while giving users a
vehicle to share their thoughts about their health care experience."

The survey is efficiently administered across the service continuum, cutting
across multiple departments. In addition, the questionnaire, data gathering,
and reports are customized to meet an organization's specific needs, programs,
and populations.

"Any new technology that will help increase efficiency for case managers,
while improving services to consumers, is of great value to the case
management industry," said Cheri Lattimer, RN, BSN, Executive Director of the
Case Management Society of America (CMSA). "The PESCM allows case managers to
access valuable information while the flexibility of the survey allows for
feedback during, at the completion of, or at key benchmarks following
services."

Developed by experienced researchers, uSPEQ surveys, such as the PESCM, are
field tested in diverse health and human services organizations with varying
sizes, types, and geographical locations. Ongoing testing and analysis are
also employed to ensure the quality of the surveys.

"CARF was guided by input from providers, payers of services, and, most
importantly, consumers in creating the PESCM," said Dr. Di Shen, Chief
Research Officer of CARF International. "The information gathered is designed
to help organizations demonstrate that their services are effective. When
there is more accountability, competition, and consumerism in the health care
industry, having real numbers and facts is invaluable."

Subscribers to the PESCM will receive a wide range of support and benefits
including consultation with uSPEQ staff, unlimited distribution of the PESCM
in their organization, and timely and accurate reporting of results.

"We want to get information into the hands of those who can use it to make the
changes and provide better care for consumers," said Joann Richards, PhD, RN,
Vice President for Research and Measurement of URAC. "The ongoing data
collection and reporting allow for internal benchmarking. This, in turn, gives
organizations actionable information and continuous improvement."

For more information on the PESCM or to purchase a subscription, visit CARF at
Booth #235 or URAC at Booth #239 at the Case Management Society of America
(CMSA) Annual Conference & Expo in Phoenix, Arizona from June 16-19, 2009.
Information is also available by phone at (202) 216-9010 or on the Web at
www.urac.org/pescm/.

About URAC
URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in
promoting health care quality through its accreditation, education and
measurement 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
www.urac.org.

About CARF International
Founded in 1966, CARF International, formerly the Commission on Accreditation
of Rehabilitation Facilities, is an independent accreditor of health and human
service providers. The organization's primary focus is in the fields of aging
services, child and family services, behavioral health, DMEPOS, employment and
community services, and medical rehabilitation. There are more than 5,000
service providers with CARF-accredited programs and services at more than
18,000 locations serving people across the United States, Canada, Europe,
South America, and the South Pacific. For more information, visit
www.carf.org.

About Case Management Society of America
Established in 1990, the Case Management Society of America is an
international non-profit 501(c)(6) multi-disciplinary professional association
dedicated to the support and advancement of the case management profession
through educational forums, networking opportunities, legislative advocacy,
and establishing standards to advance the profession. It is based in Little
Rock, AR, and serves more than 20,000 members/subscribers and 70 affiliate and
pending chapters. Since its inception, CMSA has been at the forefront of
setting professional standards for the industry, which allows for the highest
level of efficiency and integrity, as well as developing national and local
leaders who are recognized for their practice and professional excellence. For
more information on CMSA, call CMSA at (501) 225-2229 or go to www.cmsa.org.

SOURCE URAC

Amy Cantu, Levick Strategic Communications, +1-202-973-1325,
acantu@levick.com