After presenting your collection of data to the committee, you have been asked to critique your work to define what could have been expressed differently. In addition, the management of quality-improvement processes is very important to stakeholders. Review the Web sites of the following various organizations to identify some of the changes that have been implemented to show quality and performance improvements:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

The Joint Commission (TJC)

National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)

Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC)

Note: This analysis in this phase will help define the Key Assignment for this course.

As your final task (Key Assignment), you will choose a topic in health care (e.g. cardiovascular issues, obesity, or cancer) and analyze it. Then, integrate all of the steps and standards that are needed to meet the quality improvement and performance regulations that are accredited by such organizations as TJC and NCQA. Your efforts in this matter should be thorough in responding to the following deliverables:

• Define and explain at least 3 quality- or performance-improvement processes within the past 5-15 years.
• Explain the purpose of the changes.
• Identify when the changes were implemented.
• Determine whether the changes required a company-wide system change (e.g. new software implementation).
• Determine whether any new technology was required to discuss the outcome.