Drawn from the report, States' Roles in Shaping High Performance Health Systems.
States shape the health system in many ways, influencing key components such as insurance coverage, quality of care, and information and provider infrastructures. This report presents findings from the State Health Policies Aimed at Promoting Excellent Systems project, undertaken by the National Academy for State Health Policy, with support from The Commonwealth Fund. After conducting surveys of multiple agencies in states across the country, as well as review of related literature, this study found that states are pursuing system improvements across the full spectrum of their authority, including health care purchasing, regulation of providers, reporting of performance data, integration of public health with health care approaches, and improving the availability and affordability of health insurance. Despite this activity, this study finds room for states to do much more. Ongoing efforts to track, study and diffuse information on state activities could accelerate adoption of promising polices and practices.
The Oregon Health Policy Commission was created by the Oregon Legislature in 2003 as a public body to develop and oversee health policy for the state. The Commission, however, does not work alone in this effort. It has engaged the participation of many people in the years since its inception. The new statewide strategic health plan, a draft of which was made public in March 2007 (http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/OHPPR/HPC/docs/2007/roadmaptoreformdraft.pdf), seeks to create a high-value health system by improving health information technology, broadening and sustaining health coverage, and improving the quality of health care services. In crafting this plan, the Commission drew on the expertise of a variety of stakeholders, including the Commission's Quality and Transparency Workgroup, a 23-member panel of representatives from private insurance, public sector insurance, academia, and service providers. This workgroup meets regularly to discuss recommendations on subjects like electronic health records, confidentiality of patient records, and disseminating quality information.
The Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation—a collaborative led by a board of public and private health sector stakeholders—participates in the Quality and Transparency workgroup and has been a leader in the effort to develop commonly used evidence-based measures for improving the treatment of conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression. The Department of Human Services partnered with the Quality Corporation to pilot a Chronic Disease Clearinghouse to collect claims data and feed quality measures back to providers. Lessons learned from that experience are being applied statewide. The Oregon's Governor's Office reports it is considering a request for information and cost assessment to implement the measures.
Sources: Oregon Governor's Office SHAPES survey response, the Oregon Health Policy Commission website, http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/OHPPR/HPC/index.shtml, and the Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation, http://www.q-corp.org/.