IPRO'S HEALTH CARE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

IPRO is a peer-review organization in New York State that functions under 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 Care 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 improvements in care and outcomes. In order to achieve improvements in the quality of care, IPRO has initiated a series of cooperative projects which combine pattern analysis and feedback. These cooperative projects cover a broad range of medical care issues and areas. They have demonstrated that IPRO, providers, and physicians can collaborate to establish and implement efforts to achieve the ultimate goal of improved quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries.