PARTICIPATION BY STATE

EducationRings

ApplicationRings

MeasurementRings

InnovationRings

BY THE NUMBERS

140rings earned

TOTAL RINGS EARNED

244organizations enrolled

ENROLLMENT PROGRAM RINGS EARNED

94EducationRings

38ApplicationRings

3MeasurementRings

5InnovationRings

ONLINE PRESENCE

195 Average ECHO participants monthly

82 Participants in the Hospice Quality Certificate Program

50 Maximum Capacity (50) BitesizeQI Users

112 Diversity and Inclusion Activities completed

Quality Connections by the Numbers

www.nhpco.org

What is Quality Connections (QC)?Quality Connections is a national program designed to support hospice and palliative care provider delivery of high-quality, person centered care. The program enhances the knowledge base, skills, and competency of hospice and palliative care staff through education, tools, resources, and opportunities for engagement and interaction among hospice and palliative care quality professionals. The goal of the QC program is to help programs achieve and sustain continuous quality improvement.

Why should my organization participate?1. It’s about the care we’re providing for people who need us.

Your ability to measure, interpret, and respond strategically to what’s happening in your organization will help you flourish in an increasingly competitive market and prove your organization’s value to potential partners in your community. As the healthcare continuum moves towards a pay for performance model, the ability to meet and exceed quality measure requirements will contribute to an organization’s sustainability.

2. QC is a benefit of your NHPCO membership, which can save you money on external performance improvement products/services and provide data and resource access that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

3. You will receive national recognition from NHPCO as a QC participant, which demonstrates your commitment to continuous quality improvement. Partners, payers, and consumers are looking for value and commitment, and QC participation can provide the edge you need in a competitive market.

How is the program structured? The QC program contains four pillars: education, application, measurement, and innovation. Each pillar contains activities that contribute to continuous quality improvement.An organization must complete a minimum of four activities within a pillar over the year to achieve national recognition for their commitment to continuous quality imrpovement.

How much does it cost to participate in Quality Connections?The QC program is a benefit of NHPCO membership. All NHPCO member organizations can participate at no additional cost.

How do we get started?It is easy! Follow the steps in the Quality Connections User Guide to enroll in the program and to start your quality improvement journey.

Who can be a QC participant?QC is a provider member program which means that the organization is the participant. A staff member from the organization completes the requirements in the QC program with assistance from the appropriate staff within their organization.

What is expected of a QC participant?Quality Connections participants are required to achieve milestones within defined timeframes by participating in education, application, performance measurement, and innovation activities that promote performance improvement, high quality care delivery, and service excellence.

Is there a deadline for completion of QC activities?Yes, the QC program is based on a calendar year. Participants are encouraged to pace themselves throughout the year to achieve their milestones in each pillar. Some of the activities in the QC program require quarterly completion while others can be completed annually.

How are organizations recognized for their participation in QC?Participating organizations will obtain a certificate annually after completion of all requirements. Participants will also be highlighted in NHPCO publications.

Who checks off the activity requirements in the QC program? We recommend assigning a primary point of contact to the QC program portal. This should be someone who knows your QAPI program well and will be responsible for working with their organization to complete QC activities.

Does the primary contact need to know anything about DART ID to participate in the QC program? It is useful for the primary point of contact to have access to their DART ID when interacting with components of this program. If you do not have your organization’s DART ID please reach out to solutions@nhpco.org

Will the data I submit to NHPCO be protected?Yes, NHPCO has contracted with a Patient Safety Organization, the Center for Patient Safety, to ensure that your organization’s data is confidential and protected. We will ask your organization to sign a confidentiality agreement and you will be required to engage in a short webinar with NHPCO’s PSO.

Quality Connections FAQ

www.nhpco.org

Is Project ECHO a separate program from QC? Participation in Project ECHO is an activity within the application pillar of the QC program. Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is an innovative tele-mentoring program designed to engage participants in bi-directional learning through the presentation of case studies and feedback from experts and peers. To learn more about NHPCO’s Project ECHO please visit: www.nhpco.org/projectecho

What measurement activities are required?Participants will have the opportunity to participate in quarterly data submission through the Measure of Excellence. Organizations will have up to 4 weeks after the end of the quarter to submit data. They will immediately have access to a quarterly report that allows them to compare their data to others. The MOE Dashboard can be used to set benchmarks. The MOE Dashboard can also be used as part of an organization’s QAPI report to their Board. NOTE: The MOE replaces the National Data Set (NDS) beginning with 2021 data submission.

Participants will have access to an updated Survey of Team Attitudes and Relationships (STAR) tool and dashboard. The Evaluation of Grief Support Services (EGSS) will also be upgraded. NHPCO is pleased to partner with Qualtrics to provide these tools as a member benefit.

Special Quality Connections ResourcesBy taking part in Quality Connections, you will gain access to unique tools to help you assess and monitor the quality of care and services your hospice provides, including the following:

What is Project ECHO Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a tele-mentoring program designed to create virtual communities of learners through presentation of real cases allows participants to learn through engagement and interaction with their peers and session faculty. Each case presentation session is facilitated by NHPCO staff and include a case presenter(s) and subject matter experts. Session participants and the subject matter experts have the opportunity to ask the presenter clarifying questions and provide feedback to the presenter to foster the “all learn, all teach” approach.

A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. Cases can focus on hospice or palliative care clinical practice or operational process issues. Clinical cases are actual redacted patient/family cases that are challenging in some way or facilitated a learning opportunity (i.e., serving patient during a pandemic). Cases can be current or in the recent past. Operational cases focus on events or process issues at the operations level for either hospice or palliative care programs, i.e., ensuring current exchange or information with a nursing home partner.

Participation in Project ECHO sessions are open to all those in the provider community and an archive of Project ECHO sessions is available on the NHPCO website. There is no cost to participate in a Project ECHO session making this valuable learning opportunity accessible to all.

What is Bitesize QIBitesize QI is a task-oriented web app that can be used by anyone to learn quality improvement skills. It allows workers to fix problems in a consistent and accessible manner in order to effectively impact positive change within organizations.

NHPCO is proud we have been able to pilot Bitesize QI for the 50 members working on the Application ring as part of Quality Connections. We look forward to the learnings from this pilot program and developing the next iteration for future years of Quality Connections

What is the Hospice Quality Certificate Program (HQCP)Designed to provide the education needed to thrive in today’s complex healthcare landscape, this program covers the basics of healthcare compliance, including a review of the federal hospice regulations, compliance as the foundation of a quality hospice program, and the connection between compliance and quality outcomes. In addition, topics include the nuts and bolts of hospice quality measurement, self-assessment, continuous performance improvement, the federal hospice and quality reporting program, and best practices to apply to your hospice program to ensure high quality patient and family care.

This is a certificate-based program and not a certification.

Additional questions can be emailed to QualityConnections@nhpco.org.

Quality Connections FAQ