AMNCH - Quality/Accrediation Resources

 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

This link connects to the home page of the AHRQ. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed an array of health care decision making and research tools that can be used by program managers, researchers, and others at the Federal, State and local levels. One of these tools is the AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs), which use hospital administrative data to highlight potential quality concerns, identify areas that need further study and investigation, and track changes over time. The AHRQ QIs is comprised of the Inpatient Quality Indicators (IQIs), Prevention Quality Indicators (PQIs), the Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs), and the Paediatric Quality Indicators (PDIs).

http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/index.htm

Documents and publications including links to:

Modules
Software
Research and Presentations
Composite Measures
Public and Corporate reporting
Archives

http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/downloads.htm

Newsletter:

http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/newsletter.htm

AHRQ Quality Indicators Software:

http://www.qualityindicators.ahrq.gov/software.htm

Quality Information and Improvement:

http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/qualix.htm

Quality and Patient Safety:

http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/

 eHealth Initiative and the Foundation for eHealth Initiative

This link connects to the hompage of the eHealth Initiative and the Foundation for eHealth Initiative which are independent, non-profit affiliated organizations whose aims are to drive improvement in the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare through information and information technology.

http://www.ehealthinitiative.org/default.mspx

 Agency for Healthcare Research an Quality (AHRQ) National Resource Centre

This link connects to the homepage of the Agency for Healthcare Research a Quality which aims to help the health care community make the leap into the Information Age. In addition to providing technical assistance, the National Resource Centre shares new knowledge and findings that have the potential to transform everyday clinical practice. AHRQ's National Resource Centre is committed to advancing our national goal of modernising health care through the best and most effective use of IT.

http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=650&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=4&mode=2&in_hi_userid=3882&cached=true

 American Nurses Credentialing Centre

This subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, which aims to promote excellence in nursing and healthcare globally through creditentialing programs and related services. This link connects directly to the ANCC’s home page.

http://www.ana.org/ancc/

 Centre for Reviews and Dissemination’s

This link connects directly to the homepage of the CRD, which aims to provide research-based information and share knowledge about the effects of interventions used in healthcare.

http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/crd/index.htm

 Clinical Accountability, Service Planning and Evaluation (CASPE)

This link connects to the homepage of CASPE. The aim of the unit and the site is to develop better managerial and financial systems for the use of clinicians and managers. CASPE's main focus has been in the development and evaluation of systems that bring clinicians and managers closer together and result in the delivery of more effective and efficient patient care.

The main interests of the Research Unit focus currently on:

The development of clinical indicators of all aspects of quality, and the assessment of risk factors;
The development of health outcome indicators, and ensuring their use in practice;
Assuring the quality of routine data sources and collection systems;
Evaluation of clinical audit programmes and other audit initiatives;
Identifying and evaluating external peer review techniques in healthcare across Europe.

This website provides descriptions of their current work in these areas as well as a full list of CASPE's publications from earlier projects.

http://www.caspe.co.uk/index.html

 Commission for Health Improvement (UK-NHS)

This link connects to the archived home page of the Commission for health Improvement web site. This commission has ceased functioning and its services are part of the Healthcare Commission.

http://www.chi.nhs.uk/

 Gurteen Knowledge Management website

This links connects to the Gurteen Knowledge Management website which is a resource site aimed at people who wish to transform the way that they work; the way that they manage and interact with other people in their organisation.

www.gurteen.com

 Healthcare Commission – UK

This link connects directly to the UK’s Healthcare Commissions homepage. This commission aims to improve quality in healthcare.

http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk/Homepage/fs/en

 Health Care Standards Unit

This link connects to UK Healthcare Standards Unit. HCSU works with the NHS and the Department of Health to ensure the standards are useful to staff, patients and other stakeholders.

www.hcsu.org.uk

 Institute for Healthcare Improvement

This link connects directly to the homepage of the IHI, which is a non-profit organisation for improving quality in healthcare, based in the US.

http://www.ihi.org/ihi

 King's Fund

This link connects to the independent charitable foundation working for better health, especially in London. They carry out research, policy analysis and development activities, working on their own, in partnerships, and through funding. To receive free email updates from the King's Fund on your choice of health and social care themes e.g.

www.kingsfund.org.uk

 Medical Records Institute

This link connects to the homepage of the MRI, which aims to promote and enhance the move towards an electronic healthcare record and improve quality of care delivery.

http://www.medrecinst.com/

 National Audit Office- UK

This link connects to the homepage of the UK National audit office. This is an independent body which audits UK government, departments and agencies- including healthcare.

http://www.nao.org.uk/

 National Institute for Clinical Excellence (UK-NHS)

This link connects directly to the homepage of NICE which aims to make recommendations on treatments and care based on the best available evidence.

http://www.nice.org.uk/

 QQUIP (Quest for Quality and Improved Performance)

This link connects to the QQUIP website which forms part of the Health Foundation's research initiative. It aims to present independent data and commentary about the quality and performance of healthcare in England.

www.health.org.uk/qquip

 Quality Improvement Programme Information Service

This link connects to the Quality Improvement Programme Information Service website which aims to offer an Information Service (QIPIS) to enable access to relevant resources to support clinical governance activities and quality improvement projects. They also produce a fortnightly Clinical Governance e-Bulletin which will alert you to developments and initiatives, new websites and resources, news items and forthcoming events.

www.rcn.org.uk/resources/institute/qualityimprovement

 Quality and Safety in Health Care

This link connects to the homepage of the peer review journal of Quality & Safety in Health Care(formerly Quality in Health Care) for quality and safety improvement. It aims to provide essential information for those wanting to reduce harm and improve patient safety and the quality of care. Its content includes reports, which aim to reflect research, improvement initiatives and viewpoints along with papers relevant to these crucial aims.

http://qhc.bmjjournals.com/

 The Health Quality Service- UK

This link connects directly to the homepage of the Health Quality Service, which is an UK health accreditation service.

http://www.hqs.org.uk/

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Quality/Accrediation Resources

Author: Geraldine Hiney