Measuring up
July 28, 2010
Quality. Ask a hundred people to define it, and you’ll get a hundred answers. In the last decade we’ve collected more performance data and industry rankings than ever to sharpen that fuzzy definition. Members, health coalitions, purchasers, consumer advocates and the media all rate Group Health’s quality in different ways.
In 2010 we’ve earned some major quality endorsements that we can all be proud of:
- The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) just renewed Group Health’s ‘Excellent’ accreditation for HMO Commercial and Medicare plans. Evaluators gave us a 99 percent defect-free rate in their June 2010 site visit.
- U.S. News and World Report ranks Group Health in the top 4 percent of Medicare plans nationally, and in the top 26 percent of commercial plans.
- Group Health medical centers just garnered the most top marks out of 76 medical systems in the Puget Sound Health Alliance’s 2010 “Community Checkup,” released this month. Our medical centers have had the highest performance in each of the four reports since it started.
- J.D. Power and Associates ranked Group Health "Highest in Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in the Northwest" for 2010.
- The 2010 results from eValue8, a purchaser-led assessment of health plans, shows we were the highest-ranking plan in the region, for six of seven categories, including Pharmaceutical Management, Behavioral Health, Prevention and Chronic Disease Management.
Building accountability
These results are great, and they give us a concrete way to talk about quality. Yet I think what really sets us apart is our unflinching transparency.
Most health organizations are required by regulatory agencies, or by purchasers, to report certain performance results. Yet Group Health is one of only 250 plans nationwide that opens its methods to scrutiny and provides all results—not just the good ones—to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Quality Compass.
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The Quality Compass is a public database used by purchasers, brokers, consumers and others to make healthcare purchasing decisions. We build accountability with these decision-makers when we are up front about our strengths and weaknesses. We think our patients and purchasers deserve transparent information, and we believe that using it helps us get better.
Measuring ingredients vs. baking cakes
My only quibble with quality measurement is that traditional measures can be too narrow for an integrated system like ours. We’re measured in hundreds of different categories—the ingredients of care. But we’re baking cakes: doing multi-layered, interdisciplinary work that deepens the meaning of quality.
- We’re empowering patients to learn their options and decide whether certain surgeries and alternatives will work for their lifestyles.
- We’re tightly coordinating hospital care, discharges and changes in care settings, so people are less likely to take a turn for the worse and return to the emergency room.
- We’re building evidence-based best practices for radiology use, reducing unnecessary radiation exposure, especially in young people.
Then there are the nuanced ways our members define quality for themselves. For the busy professional, it’s a short pharmacy line with a credit card scanner at every window. An expectant mother gets a choice of midwives or obstetricians. Electronic medical records give an older adult freedom from carrying a dog-eared list of unpronounceable medicines in his wallet.
Every day, we have thousands of opportunities to measure up—to build patient confidence and trust in our work. The more subjective aspects of quality aren’t calculated point-by-point in scorecards and rankings. But I think they’re the icing on the cake.
President and Chief Medical Executive
Read Dr. Soman's latest Open Mike article.
- 2012
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What if the “new normal” doesn’t feel normal at all, for many years? I try to remind myself and others that the current turmoil in health care is driven by market forces—not politics—and can only be solved by directly addressing the market. Our “new normal” is all about reaching across silos to work with partners in new ways.
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Looking back, and ahead: reflections on my first three years 9/17/2011
The last three years have passed quickly, largely because I’ve had such an amazing group of people to work with. What you’re capable of no longer surprises me. It inspires me.
Our people are our culture, and we’re constantly evolving 8/17/2011
One thing I’ve noticed since my last Q&A on Group Health culture with Scott Armstrong is that conversations like ours are spreading.
More than elbow room 7/6/2011
Growth is a good problem to have in turbulent economic times. But as I’ve heard in medical staff business meetings and conversations, growth is hard on daily life at work.
Erikson and Soman on partnership and growth 6/15/2011
Sustaining growth isn’t about Michael and I being leaders; it’s about teams of seasoned, excellent colleagues and leaders and clinical teams. We both have tremendous confidence in them.
The good, the bad and everything in between 5/11/2011
I went all over the state in March, talking with small groups of GHP physicians and other clinicians about critical issues.
Why are we here? 3/23/2011
Easily eight out of ten of you mention that our philosophy of medicine—the way we practice—drew you here. And paired with the people and relationships in your workplaces, it’s a major thing that keeps you here.
Culture at Group Health: 7 questions for Scott & Michael 3/9/2011
Scott and I kicked off some fresh thinking about culture and respect for people at our Leadership Conference about five weeks ago. Recently, we sat down to check in with each other about it.
Put some passion in your workplace 2/17/2011
What satisfies you, motivates you, or makes you want to tell your friends and family about your day? Do you know how your co-workers would answer these questions? Talk to each other to learn from each other.
Sometimes growth don't feel like it should 1/28/2011
We know that taking on new patients—and engaging them in their own good health—takes time. But it’s what’s unique and important about our kind of medicine.
About 350 leaders from the Group Practice and throughout Group Health gathered for the Group Practice Annual Fall Forum on November 12.
Demystifying clinical integration
11/3/2010
Clinical integration is the key, so let’s define what that phrase means.
Step back and take it all in. You’re making great things happen. 10/21/2010
In the last issue of Open Mike we had just learned that we had won the 2010 Acclaim Award from the American Medical Group Association.
Group Health sees a big jump in NCQA private plan rankings 9/22/2010
Group Health is one of the highest rated health plans and among the top 50 in the nation, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
Innovation is where we shine 9/8/2010
I am very excited to share that the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) has honored our work with its 2010 Acclaim Award.
Notes from the Colorado Health Symposium 8/11/2010
During the last week of July I traveled to the Colorado Health Foundation’s annual symposium in Keystone, CO.
The risk and opportunity of Accountable Care Organizations
6/30/2010
Shared values, physician-led care models, and aligned incentives can bridge the distance between organizations in the world of accountable care.
Let’s start a conversation about our workplace 4/4/2010
People are our most important resource, our “secret sauce.”
Decreasing “unwarranted” variation in clinical care 3/24/2010
As you read this, we are in the midst of unprecedented reform to our national health care system.
Making the transition from “I” to “we”
2/10/2010
Last night the Group Health Permanente Annual Meeting left me feeling inspired and confident.
Looking ahead to 2010 1/13/2010
First, for 2010, our goal is as follows: We will lead the top delivery system in the stat
