A group of healthcare advocates has formed the Consumer Confidence Project (CCP) to evaluate the policies, governance, services, and practices of each Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) in Oregon. This evaluation will provide a data-driven report on each CCO from the perspective of its members and its regional community.
In December 2013, the Oregon legislature created Coordinated Care Organizations to improve the quality and experience of healthcare, lower overall costs, and improve health across Oregon. To meet those goals, CCOs must align their healthcare delivery system to the unique needs of their communities.
Currently, multiple organizations are evaluating the performance of CCOs, but the CCP evaluation will add a new dimension.
Unlike conventional patient-experience data, such as patient satisfaction surveys, the CCP report will examine howCCO members can get the information they need in a timely manner and how easily they can find out about their CCO’s processes and governance. Results of the CCP’s assessment will be published widely.
The CCP effort is rooted in the following beliefs:
● Successful person-centered organizations are vital to creating better health outcomes, community-driven health networks, and improved experiences of care.
● Transparency, particularly in such dynamic and regionally driven systems, is the key to fair markets, safety, value, and consumer confidence.
● Consistent evaluation and accountability from the consumer perspective will improve health outcomes for all Oregonians.
The CCP is largely a volunteer-led effort, housed within the Oregon Public Health Institute in Portland. The project’s steering committee oversees data collection, reporting, and an independent review process. To ensure the impartiality of the evaluation, the steering committee has hired an operational staff with no financial ties to healthcareorganizations or other conflicts of interest with any CCOs.
To ensure that the CCP accurately reflects the perspective of the individuals, families, and communities served byCCOs, an advisory council will review the project’s evaluation results. This Analysis and Review Council (ARC) include individuals state-wide who have experience as CCO members, caregivers, or healthcare providers. ARC also seeks members who have expertise in evaluation, data collection and analysis, or familiarity with the CCO model. The CCP is currently accepting nominations and applications for ARC membership (see below).
According to Liz Baxter, Executive Director of the Oregon Public Health Institute, “the vision of the Consumer Confidence Project is that, over time, feedback from the community will help all CCOs improve their delivery of integrated care and promote client-involvement in decision making.”
For more information and to apply for the Analysis and Review Council, contact project manager David B. Spencer at david.spencer.[email protected].
