title: USQA Health Profile Database as a tool for health plan quality improvement.
abstract: Managed care organizations are in a unique position to evaluate and improve the quality of care delivered to their defined memberships. Traditionally, health services delivery has been claims-focused. We describe a potentially richer, patient-centered approach, whereby patients with certain chronic diseases are first identified and then used as the unit of analysis. U.S. Quality Algorithms (USQA), a subsidiary of U.S. Healthcare (USHC) based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, has developed selection criteria for 36 different chronic diseases and a new database, the USQA Health Profile Database (HPD), to identify and archive patients with those diseases. Examples of how this approach and database can be used as a quality tool are demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Quality Algorithms, Inc., Blue Bell, PA, USA.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hanchak
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schlackman
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000145:classification* / Q000628:therapy*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005376:Financial Management; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States