A new strategy to improve the safety and quality of medical care has been released by the Board of Directors of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
Key elements of AHIP's Quality and Safety Proposal include:
· Establishing a new national entity to evaluate and compare the safety, efficacy and cost effectiveness of new and existing healthcare treatments and technologies, including prescription drugs and medical devices.
· Reforming the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve its ability to assess the long-term safety and effectiveness of newly approved drugs and devices.
· Setting a national research agenda that addresses known gaps in evidence and makes communication regarding ongoing research studies a national priority.
· Accelerating efforts to give patients and their physicians the information they need to make value-based healthcare decisions.
· Emphasizing the adoption of best practices.
· Developing innovative tools to help physicians and patients manage chronic conditions.
· Creating a new, nationwide medical dispute resolution system that focuses on protecting patients and eliminates the costs and risks of defensive medicine, suppression of information about medical errors, and litigation.
