Monday, January 26, 2015
ArborMetrix, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based healthcare analytics solutions, today announced that The Health Care Improvement Foundation (HCIF) will use its cloud-based RegistryMetrix analytics platform to improve physician learning, quality of care and patient outcomes for the Pennsylvania Urology Regional Collaborative (PURC), a new quality improvement initiative in southeastern Pennsylvania.
PURC is sponsored by the Partnership for Patient Care, a multi-year regional improvement initiative funded jointly by Independence Blue Cross and the region's hospitals and health systems.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer among men in Pennsylvania, and represents a significant health issue. With supplemental funding from Independence Blue Cross, PURC will convene major urology practices from across the 5-county Southeastern Pennsylvania region in a multi-year data-sharing and improvement collaborative aimed at advancing the quality of diagnosis and care for men with prostate cancer.
PURC has identified six organizations that will participate in this evidence-based medicine initiative, including urology practices and departments affiliated with Temple University Hospital; Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; Fox Chase Cancer Center; Einstein Healthcare Network; University of Pennsylvania Health System; and Urology Health Specialists.
Modeled after a similar successful program in Michigan, PURC will be able to benchmark and identify best practices and disseminate that information to its member healthcare providers in the metropolitan Philadelphia area.
"The dynamics of healthcare delivery are evolving and require a much more patient-centered, physician-led effort to improve the care of patients with urological cancers," said Robert Uzzo, MD, Executive Director of PURC, Chairman, Department of Surgery, Fox Chase Cancer Center. "This collaborative is an essential step to bring together academic and community urologic leaders who believe that we are stronger when we work together."
The program will be expanded to additional practices after the first pilot year.
"We are impressed with the results we saw from RegistryMetrix's analytics," said Kate J. Flynn, FACHE, President of HCIF. "With ArborMetrix's help, participating urologists will have a much broader foundation for making the best clinical decisions in the interests of their patients, improving patient safety, reducing costs and achieving better outcomes. We are excited to be able to improve our clinical processes with the information provided through RegistryMetrix."
The program's initial efforts will focus on:
RegistryMetrix collects data on patient demographics; cancer severity (including pathological details from needle biopsies); utilization and outcomes for radiographic staging studies; co-morbidities; and patterns of care for both local therapies (e.g., radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy) and systemic androgen deprivation therapy.
That information is analyzed to determine the performance of each urology practice in comparison to its peers. PURC will be able to conduct analyses designed to identify specific care components associated with better patient outcomes. Based on these analyses, it will be able to distribute information on best practices to participating providers and the broader healthcare community.
"ArborMetrix has proven to organizations such as HCIF that investments in performance measurement analytics can help improve the safety and quality of care for patients," said Brett Furst, CEO of ArborMetrix. "We are excited to share information on the best practices that can help improve clinical decision-making and the quality of care, and look forward to working with HCIF and the PURC project."
About ArborMetrix
ArborMetrix, Inc., located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, provides a unique, cloud-based platform for performance measurement and clinical intelligence in acute and specialty care. Based on its industry changing econometric research, ArborMetrix solutions deliver rigorous data analysis while incorporating advanced risk and reliability adjustments. With actionable insights grounded in clinical evidence, ArborMetrix clients quickly achieve quality improvements and cost savings. For more information, visit www.arbormetrix.com, email info@arbormetrix.com or call 734-661-7949.
About HCIF
Based in Philadelphia, the Health Care Improvement Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that leads health care initiatives aimed at improving the safety, outcomes and care experiences of patients in Pennsylvania with the goal of facilitating the development of a high-performing health care delivery system demonstrating enhanced measures of safety, quality, and effectiveness. More information about the HCIF can be found at www.hcifonline.org.
Media Contacts:
Amendola Communications for ArborMetrix
Tim Boivin, 224.209.6495
tboivin@acmarketingpr.com
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