Hospital Tiered Network
Categories: Change Incentives to Promote Better Care
Jan. 1, 2009, marked the beginning of the fourth year of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama's Hospital Tiered Network. The network was launched in response to healthcare consumers' request for a network that focuses on both cost and quality. Hospitals receive a tier ranking based on three primary components, including fiscal, quality and patient safety performance. The Hospital Tiered Network has provided a way to encourage and reinforce improvements in healthcare transparency and quality. Among the most recent successes:
- Prior to July 1, 2006, there were 35 (or 34 percent of) hospitals in the state utilizing a rapid response team (RRT). In 2008, 93 (or 92 percent of) facilities have confirmed the implementation of the RRT methodology. An RRT is a group assembled by each healthcare facility that responds immediately to patients who exhibit signs of cardiac arrest. RRTs' goal is to reduce the number of cardiac arrests that take place outside of the ICU.
- In 2007, hospitals were asked to have employees complete a version of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Employee Culture of Safety Survey, which enables hospital employees to provide anonymous feedback to management about the perceived culture of safety at their facility. As a result, 98 hospitals participated, and over 18,000 surveys were entered. These data helped identify medication reconciliation and patient hand-offs as potential areas for statewide improvement.
- The 2008 Tiered Network Criteria asked hospitals to enroll in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) 5 Million Lives Campaign. The national campaign aims to reduce the incidence of preventable patient harm. In 2006, 38 (or 37 percent of) state hospitals were enrolled in the campaign. As of 2008, 94 (or 93 percent of) hospitals have confirmed enrollment in the campaign and are listed on the IHI website. For 2009, hospitals have been asked to increase their level of engagement in the campaign.
