This June 2009 report from the National Academy for State Health Policy examines collaborative arrangements in 10 states designed to improve health care quality.

From the National Academy for State Health Policy:

This report focuses on 10 leading state quality improvement partnerships – interrelated broad-based partnerships, mostly with public and private sector representation, which have long-term, statewide, systemic quality improvement strategic intent, and transparent agendas. These partnerships vary along a continuum of formality and scope. They build on varying histories of collaboration in each state and arise from different needs and aspirations. Nevertheless, they share a longterm commitment to multi-pronged, strategic, broad-based, and systemic improvements. Many of the partnerships are linked to broader state health reform initiatives, and most explicitly or implicitly focus on improving quality of care and improving value in the health system.  These 10 state quality improvement partnerships provide a way for their states to streamline quality improvement efforts so that they are efficient and not duplicative. The partnerships attempt to be strategic, comprehensive, and long term in their planning, but also to identify “quick wins” – pr oven initiatives that provide concrete results in a relatively short time. Partnerships take advantage of successful models in other states, which provide lessons learned along with ideas for quick wins. In their efforts to improve quality and system performance, partnerships tend to employ five broad interrelated strategies:

• Data collection, aggregation, and standardization for performance measurement;
• Public reporting and transparency of quality and/or cost data to drive accountability and improvement;
• Consumer engagement to drive change and encourage care self-management
• Provider engagement through evidence-based practice improvement tools and guidelines; and
• Payment reform and alignment of financial incentives to encourage value-based purchasing

Full report: http://www.nashp.org/node/1108

National Academy for State Health Policy. (2009). State partnerships to improve quality: models and practices from leading states. Rosenthal, J. and Hanlon, C.