Home Health: HHS LAUNCHES HOME HEALTH QUALITY INITIATIVE

Why This Topic Matters

The article shows how CMS is expanding public quality reporting in home health and how agencies, patients, and industry groups may be affected by the move toward outcome measurement. It also places the initiative in the context of broader federal quality strategy across home health, hospitals, and other care settings.

Article Sections

1. Home health quality initiative announced

   Introduces the federal quality reporting effort for Medicare-certified home health agencies and describes the planned public release of selected results in multiple states before a broader rollout.

2. Focus on outcome measures

   Describes the general categories of outcome indicators being emphasized and contrasts outcome measurement with process-based quality measurement.

3. Outcome-based quality improvement and pilot experience

   Summarizes discussion of a prior pilot program and the broader approach used by quality improvement organizations to support agency quality improvement efforts.