Using Performance Monitoring to Improve Community Health Exploring the Issues (1996) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Monitoring and Imrpoving Community Health: A Washington State Case Study
Monitoring and Imrpoving Community Health: A Washington State Case Study
Pages 17-31
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 17... ...
Discussion by the committee pointed to the importance of state infrastructure for local health department performance and the need to be able to assess state as well as local capacity and performance. In addition, it was emphasized that differences among states in the nature of local health departments can affect which functions can be conducted at the local level and, therefore, their apparent level of "effectiveness." In Massachusetts, for example, which has many small community health depar~nents but no county heal departments, leadership for essential public health practices often rests at He state level.
|
From page 18... ...
At the workshop, representatives of the public health, academic, and private heal care systems in Washington State described some of the partnership activities underway and work being done on health status monitoring. Public Health in Washington Stated The Washington State Health Department fimctions in a state with a strong populist tradition combined with acceptance of an active role for state government.
|
From page 19... ...
. The state legislature also chose to respond to the AIDS epidemic primarily through local health departments with requirements for regional planning Efforts to reduce low bird weight provided additional funds to areas with poor outcomes and required that they develop plans for responding to the problem.
|
From page 20... ...
This arrangement provides a training site for students in nursing, preventive medicine, and public health, and establishes a direct link for the faculty with local health officers and the Washington State Association of Local Public Heal Officials. In addition, ties with the state Department of Health have been strengthened by cross appointments.
|
From page 21... ...
Recently, as Group Health has expanded its geographic scope, it has begun adding physician networks to its original organization as a staff model HMO. Group Health has an active program of performance monitoring that serves a variety of purposes: HEDIS reporting to employers on health plan performance; accreditation requirements; data for an internal quality initiative; feedback to individual clinicians; marketing aimed at increasing enrollment; and reporting, to the Cooperative's consumer governance structure.
|
From page 22... ...
From Group Health's perspective, the committee's vision statement sets out an appropriate challenge for all health plans. Performance monitoring will, however, require developing explicit expectations in several areas: community responsibilities of medical care organizations; monitoring and reporting by those organizations; encouraging and facilitating publi~private partnerships; defining contributions to community capacity-building; conducting community programs in collaboration with the community; determining how to monitor the extent to which Sue partnerships exist; and establishing the appropriate role of the consumer (individuals, groups, or the community)
|
From page 23... ...
This has encouraged an organizational distance between the two fields that has left many environmental health professionals out of the discussions about new approaches to public health practice and without an appreciation of their role in public health systems. In Washington State, efforts are being, made through means such as the state's Public Health Improvement Plan to bring environmental heals clearly into the realm of public health.
|
From page 24... ...
A further concern is how to integrate or reconcile data collection and information systems for health-related performance monitoring with similar activities initiated by other community agencies. Environmental health directors from across Washington State have begun working together to try to address concerns such as these.
|
From page 25... ...
A Voluntary Approach to Developing Public-Private Health Information Systems As part of its 1993 health care reform program, Washington State mandated creation of a statewide health data system that would be used to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of reform efforts. Subsequently, the state has stepped back from the original mandates to adopt a more voluntary approach to health care reform.
|
From page 26... ...
It was suggested that, for community-oriented health plans such as Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Washington's collaborative approach to data systems development may offer a way to receive public recognition for some of their activities and to have an influence on what other health plans are willing to do. The voluntary collaboration among the various groups with an interest in health data is not intended to produce a statewide data system.
|
From page 27... ...
Assessment Domains The domains covered by the assessment process include health status, risk factors and other determinants of health, and health interventions. Morbidity and mortality data for injuries and a variety of illnesses and health conditions are a basic health status component.
|
From page 28... ...
For example, adding zip codes to the Washington State behavioral risk factor survey has now made it possible to look specifically at data for King County. There is also a project to conduct a local survey on behavioral risk factors.
|
From page 29... ...
Indicators for conditions for which change is difficult or unlikely were considered less helpful. Using Assessment Data In Seattle-King County, information generated by the health assessment program is being used in establishing priorities for heal interventions and in allocating state funds from the Public Health Improvement Plan.
|
From page 30... ...
For example, data on sexual activity among teenagers are valuable in addressing issues such as teenage pregnancy and controlling sexually transmitted diseases, but parental consent is now required in Washington State before asking students relevant questions. The state has chosen not to include that subject in its school survey.
|
From page 31... ...
Their collaboration in community health assessment may encourage, and be encouraged by, the development of common goals for member and community health. It was suggested that establishing common community practices in technical areas such as data standards and data interchange might promote health plan participation.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.