CASE MANAGEMENT: Accreditation Group Releases Benchmarks
An accreditation organization for medical case managers has released a draft of new quality care benchmarks for public comment through Feb. 15, 1998. The American Accreditation HealthCare Commission/URAC accreditation standards will guide case managers as they work with patients, their families and providers to coordinate effective medical care. The standards address staff training and qualifications, use of external resources, quality monitoring and improvement, use of guidelines and protocols and performance incentive systems. "In an increasingly complex environment, case management provides a crucial link between patients and needed health care services," said Kathleen Douglas, vice president of disease management for Health International Inc. and chair of the committee that developed the standards. "URAC standards will ensure that case management is done with an emphasis on quality," she added. The standards are available on the Internet at www.urac.org or by calling (202) 216-9010. Organizations interested in serving as test sites for the benchmarks should email gdandrea@urac.org by Dec. 31, 1998 (URAC release, 12/15).
This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.