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NQC e-Newsletter | Your expert guide to resources and technical assistance focusing on improving HIV care.
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Greetings!
The National Quality Center (NQC) recognizes that consumers are vital partners in building a quality culture within any HIV organization. In March 2012, NQC convened its Consumer Advisory Committee, which provides an important perspective on what quality means in Ryan White care settings. NQC also recently launched a critical aspect of our in+care Campaign - Partners in+care - asking consumers to be active participants in this national initiative, not only by staying in care but by assisting their peers to get back into care. In this edition, you can also read about a new NQC training program for consumers - Training of Consumers for Quality (TCQ) - to increase the active participation of people living with HIV on local quality management committees, quality improvement teams, and in regional quality improvement efforts.
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> NQC News | DC EMA Cross Part Collaborative Update
This quality improvement collaborative is helping the Washington, DC EMA to foster cross-Part alignment, partnership, and collaboration among regional grantees and stakeholders serving the DC metropolitan area, including administrative agents, grantees, subgrantees, and consumers from DC, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. As the 18-month process supported by the National Quality Center, which included four face-to-face learning sessions so far, is winding down, participants are developing a sustainability plan designed to maintain the collaboration into the future. The last face-to-face learning session is planned for May 2012.
One of the most significant successes of the Collaborative is that over the course of the 13 months it continued to gain participants from across the region. In particular, the Collaborative reached out to subgrantees and case management organizations and encouraged their participation.
A major emphasis of the Collaborative was a joint quality improvement activity; ensuring that patients received annual syphilis screenings. Best practices were identified and the work also focused attention on the importance of retaining patients in care. Participants are embarking on a new quality improvement activity with potential focus areas such as oral health screening or retention. The Collaborative is active in the in+care Campaign, with two members serving as local quality champions.
Learn more about the DC EMA Cross Part Collaborative | nationalqualitycenter.org/index.cfm/17112/38159 |
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> Apr 2012 | Issue 46 | Volume 5
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> Upcoming Events | April - June 2012
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April 19 | National TA Call | Getting to the Core of Quality for 'Other' RW Services
April 19 | Partners in+care Webinar | Self-Management of HIV
April 26 | in+care Campaign Webinar | Homelessness and Retention
May 17 | National TA Call | Integrating HAB Core Clinical Performance Measures into your Quality Management Program
May10-12 | NQC Exhibit | American Conference for the Treatment of HIV
May 22 | Partners in+care Webinar | Connecting our Peers into Care
May 24-27 | NQC Exhibit | National Conference on Social Work and HIV/AIDS
May 29 | Part D TA Call | Youth - Adherence and the Use of Social Networking
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National Quality Center
New York State Department of Health
AIDS Institute
90 Church Street, 13th floor
New York, NY 10007-2919
Phone | 212.417.4730
Fax | 212.417.4684
Email | Info@NationalQualityCenter.org
Sharing, Training, Consulting.
Improving HIV Care.
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> NQC News | in+care Campaign Update: Partners in+care
Partners in+care is a new and important component of the in+care Campaign. These consumer-focused activities are designed to engage people living with HIV/AIDS in working to improve their care. This collaboration can take place with their own providers, at an agency level, within their communities, or at the national level.
Over the next year, the partners will be submitting QI tools, tips, best practice ideas and other resources to the Campaign's Consumer Working Group to help consumers stay in care and reach out to engage others who are not in care. NQC will work with the Consumer Working Group to review and recommend resources to post to the Partners in+care section on the in+care Campaign website. In addition to accessing Campaign resources, the partners will be able to participate in a series of webinars designed by and specifically for people living with HIV/AIDS and their allies. Those who sign up to join Partners in+care will also be able to exchange stories and tips based on personal experiences of what works to get into care, stay in care, or help others return to care.
in+care Campaign Upcoming Events:
Partners in+care Webinar: April 19, 2:00 pm ET
The focus of the April webinar will be self-care. The Partners in+care Webinar Series is presented by and for people living with HIV and those who help them benefit from HIV healthcare.
in+care Webinar: April 26, 2:00 pm ET
This webinar will focus on homelessness and retention. Best practices will be presented by Ryan White grantees.
Learn more about the Campaign, recent data submission results, and Partner in+care activities | incareCampaign.org/
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> Upcoming in+care Campaign Deadlines
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April 2 | Performance Data Submission Deadline
June 1 | Next Data Submission
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> NQC Offering | HIVQUAL Regional Groups
HIVQUAL Regional Groups are a collective body of Ryan White Part C and D grantees representing a particular geographic area. These groups collaborate to build capacity for peer learning by sharing improvement strategies and best practices across their facilities' quality management programs. Each group is assigned an experienced consultant who provides quality improvement expertise through facilitation coaching, and mentoring. The goals of HIVQUAL Regional Groups are to:
- Improve HIV patient care in a geographic region or by provider type by focusing quality improvement (QI) efforts on relevant improvement areas selected by group members
- Identify and promote effective QI strategies through ongoing exchange among peers
- Enhance understanding and local application of QI knowledge, methods, and tools directed toward improving patient care
- Promote sustainability through quality management (QM) infrastructure development including completion of organizational assessments and program evaluation
- Assist grantees in meeting Ryan White Program legislative QM requirements
- Align quality activities with other state and local quality initiatives and priorities
- Improve performance measures and data collection methods by ensuring they are agreed upon by group members
For more information on participation in HIVQUAL or to get information on joining a HIVQUAL Regional Group, contact Darryl W. Ng, Director, HIVQUAL-US, at
dwn01@health.state.ny.us
Learn more about Regional Groups | hivqualus.org/index.cfm/8720 |
> NQC Offering | Training of Consumers for Quality: Program Launch Coming Soon
NQC is finalizing the development of its Training of Consumers for Quality (TCQ) Program and is looking forward to launching it soon. The TCQ Program is designed to help consumers actively participate in Ryan White quality improvement activities, including becoming members of local quality management committees, quality improvement teams and regional quality improvement efforts. The goals of the Program are: - Increased understanding of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and its quality requirements and expectations
- Increased understanding of basic vocabulary for quality improvement tools, methodologies, activities, and processes
- Increased competency to be a consumer champion in local and regional quality management committee activities
- Increased confidence in participating in quality improvement teams to address specific aspects of HIV care
- Increased understanding of the various forms of individual and systematic consumer involvement, and identification of appropriate methods of involvement in clinical quality improvement activities
- Increased awareness of basic HIV care and treatment terminologies so that participants better understand basic indicator definitions and performance data reports
- Increased knowledge related to health numeracy and health literacy, and understanding of performance measurement processes terminology, including details of indicator definitions, and data reporting
- Exposure to other patients, consumer quality leaders, and peer experts in patient involvement who can provide community support and leadership
Several parts of the curriculum content have been successfully piloted with help from two groups. Many thanks to the Virginia Community Planning Group and the Consumer Team of the DC EMA Cross-Part Collaborative for helping us to refine the content. NQC will pilot the training this June in Philadelphia. In particular, NQC seeks to recruit consumers who: - Receive care at Ryan White Program-funded grantees or their subgrantees
- Participate in quality management committees or quality improvement teams
- Seek deeper involvement in local, regional, or national quality improvement activities
More information on the application process will be available very soon. Applicants will need to apply for this training and secure support from a grantee or sub grantee to become active participants on their quality management committee. NQC will conduct a Webinar for grantees, subgrantees, and consumers in the coming months to provide an overview of the TCQ Program and its goals. |
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> Real World Quality | Angelique Croasdale
Angelique Croasdale, Ryan White Part A Project Manager in Hartford, became very familiar with NQC when she was a valued member of the Connecticut Cross Part Collaborative team. She participated in the statewide Data / Quality Management Committee and has continued her work with that Committee even after its 'official' end.
Over the past year, Angelique has fundamentally changed the way the Hartford Transitional Grant Area (TGA) goes about developing and implementing quality improvement activities.
She requested technical assistance from NQC to review the Hartford Quality Management (QM) plan and make recommendations for improvement. Ably assisted by Dr. Nanette Brey-Magnani - a long time NQC Consultant and nationally recognized quality improvement expert - she refined the QM plan, developed new performance measures and defined new contract language for subgrantees that focused them on quality improvement work as well as service provision.
In October 2011, a Quality Improvement Nurse was hired and one of her first tasks was to meet with subgrantees and review the data they submitted. The idea behind this was to stress the focus on quality improvement to all subgrantees and have them focus on improvement projects.
Working with Dr. Brey-Magnani has helped her accomplish her goals for the TGA. According to Angelique, Nanette has extensive knowledge about Connecticut and the service providers in the state. "She is able to connect the work from each Part in a way that it makes sense," says Angelique. The quality management team for the TGA meets monthly with Nanette to work on the plan. In addition, Nanette has worked with five providers in the TGA to develop storyboards addressing gaps in their service delivery models. The providers identified areas where they needed to improve and set goals for making changes.
"We saw direct successes from this work," says Angelique. "One of the providers focused on increasing the number of women who receive Pap smears. This provider eventually received a small grant that allowed it to give gift cards as an incentive to the women when they received their Pap smear. They have seen a significant increase in the number of women who access this service."
Angelique also connects subgrantees with other services offered by NQC. She regularly informs them about training opportunities and technical assistance calls. In addition, the Hartford TGA is participating in the in+care Campaign.
"Quality is so very important in the carrying out of day-to-day tasks," says Angelique. "It shows where we are excelling in service delivery and where we need to improve in terms of gaps and needs." |
> Consumer Perspective | Jeffrey Mazo
Since the focus of the in+care Campaign is on improving the retention of people living with HIV in care, it is beneficial to hear from experts on the topic to provide advice on what works. That is the role of the Campaign's Consumer Working Group.
Jeff Mazo of Cleveland, Ohio is a member of the Consumer Working Group. "As a group, we are looking at ways to reach the population of consumers that needs to be reached and provide them the information they need to know to be concerned about their health and motivated to stay in care," says Jeff.
The Working Group conducts several conference calls each month. During these calls they discuss various approaches to reaching out to those not in care, for example through the use of the Internet and posters. They are also developing webinars for consumers that focus on retention.
"We are looking to bridge consumers and providers," says Jeff. "Consumers can play a role in bringing individuals into care. With a peer-to-peer approach we can be part of the solution. There is a long tradition of this in the fight against HIV."
Participating in the working group is Jeff's first experience with NQC but he has a solid understanding of the importance of consumer involvement in the provision of HIV services. "I call myself a non-conflicted consumer participant," he states. "I don't represent any service provider or organization. When I speak, I speak as a consumer." |
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> Highlights from the NQC Collection | Getting to the Core of Quality for 'Other' RW Services
We all know that support services are critical to the well-being and the quality of life of the people living with HIV/AIDS that we serve. Because they are so important, non-clinical services should be included in any quality management program. NQC has a variety of resources that address this topic.
National TA Conference Call: April 19, 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Past TA Calls
Quality Management for Case Managers and Non-Clinical Care, August 2010
nationalqualitycenter.org/index.cfm/17414/21742
Quality Management for Case Managers and Non-Clinical Care, August 2009
nationalqualitycenter.org/index.cfm/17414/21742
Quality Academy, Tutorial 22: Quality Improvement for Non-Clinical Services
The tutorial discusses quality improvement in non-clinical services such as counseling, social support, food, housing, etc. that are offered by HIV care programs to their clients.
nationalqualitycenter.org/index.cfm/6101/20396
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> About Us
We provide no-cost, state-of-the-art technical assistance to all Ryan White Program-funded grantees to improve the quality of HIV care nationwide.
Send questions, comments, or suggestions | Info@NationalQualityCenter.org
This e-Newsletter is produced by the National Quality Center, a quality improvement initiative funded through a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau. For more information | NationalQualityCenter.org
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