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HIVQUAL
is a national project sponsored by the Ryan
White Division of Community Based Programs
which funds the New York State Department
of Health AIDS Institute to build capacity
and capability among Title III and IV grantees
to sustain quality improvement. Participation
is encouraged, although it is not required.
Built
upon a model of quality improvement consultation
that was developed in New York State, the
goal of the Project is to improve the quality
of care delivered to persons with HIV. A
software program has been developed through
this Project that is used as a tool to facilitate
measurement of quality.
The
model is based on several key principals:
- development
of infrastructure for systematically initiating
and overseeing quality initiatives
- measurement
of clinical indicators that are based
upon clinical practice guidelines
- use
of aggregate data to evaluate performance
- provision
of on-site QI consultations and coaching
- facilitated
QI project development using multidisciplinary
teams
- integration
of QI into ongoing planning and work
- strong
patient focus
- leadership
commitment and involvement
Participants
are coached to develop specific skills in
measurement, sampling, identifying opportunities
for improvement and conducting projects
to improve performance. Once these skills
are learned, they can easily be applied
to measure other indicators and to other
programs in the organization.
What
are the core indicators of the Project?
Quality indicators currently measured in
the HIVQUAL Project are:
- HIV
Staging (viral load, CD4 count)
- Antiretroviral
Therapy Management
- Opportunistic
Infections Prophylaxis (PCP, MAC)
- Gynecologic
Care (pelvic exam with PAP smear, GC culture,
chlamydia screening)
- Tuberculosis
Screening
- Substance
Use Screening
- Specialty
Referrals (dental, ophthalmology)
- Treatment
Adherence
- Patient
Education
- Access
to Expert HIV Care
Indicators
specific to Title IV programs include:
- HIV
Counseling & Testing for Pregnant
Women
- Perinatal
Transmission Prophylaxis
- Pediatric
Early Diagnosis & PCP Prophylaxis
- Pediatric
Antiretroviral Therapy
- Pediatric
Neurodevelopmental Exams
- Pediatric
Dental Exams
Performance
data on these indicators are submitted to
the HIVQUAL Project where it is compiled
into aggregate reports and comparative tables
for participants and HRSA.
The
HIVQUAL3 Software
The Project offers, at no cost, HIVQUAL3
software designed to facilitate monitoring
of clinical care. This software includes
indicators based on clinical practice guidelines
developed by the New York State Department
of Health AIDS Institute, its expert advisory
committees, and the Title III and Title
IV Project Advisory Committee.
HIVQUAL3
has the capacity to easily import and export
data. HIVQUAL3 is not a clinical tracking
program for all patients in the clinic.
HIVQUAL3
offers a simple vehicle for the rapid generation
of reports that monitor clinical performance
for those patients entered into the database.
It will also analyze data for different
subpopulation groups, including age, gender,
viral load, race/ethnicity and exposure
categories, CD4 count and clinic site.
If
you would like further information about
the Project, please call the Project Administrator,
Ms. Stahley LaRoe, at 518-473-1377 or contact
her via e-mail at SHL02@health.state.ny.us
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