IPROS HEALTH-CARE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

IPRO is a peer-review organization in New York State that functions un der a contract with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for assuring quality of care for Medicare patients. In 1993, IPRO initiated its Health Car e Quality Improvement Program (HCQIP). The purpose of this program is to develop information on patterns of care and outcomes, to share this with health care providers, and in so doing effect measurable improve ments in care and outcomes. In order to achieve improvements in the qu ality of care, IPRO has initiated a series of cooperative projects whi ch combine pattern analysis and feedback. These cooperative projects c over a broad range of medical care issues and areas. They have demonst rated that IPRO, providers, and physicians can collaborate to establis h and implement efforts to achieve the ultimate goal of improved quali ty of care for Medicare beneficiaries.