CMS has announced that a select group of QIOs will be working with specific communities (of roughly 100,000 to 400,000 people) to improve how the whole care system works for sick Medicare beneficiaries. The focus will be on improving such weak spots in the service array as discharge from hospital, support in the community, and meeting caregiver needs. This QIO led effort, the Care Transitions Theme, will offer participating providers the ability to use the new internet-based patient assessment instrument referred to as CARE (Continuity Assessment Record & Evaluation). CARE will be one of many interventions, used by participating QIOs and providers, to improve the quality and safety of Medicare beneficiaries' transitions amongst care settings. The Care Transitions Theme will build upon research showing the importance of clear medication orders, advance care planning, and training of family caregivers. The projects will work with all clinical providers in a community - hospitals, home care, nursing homes, specialty hospitals, hospices, physician offices, and others. The project aims to reduce re-hospitalizations, improve satisfaction, and build enduring cooperative quality improvement in communities.
May 15, 2008: CARE Tool Presentation by Judith Tobin
Handout | Recorded Call
Below you can find several versions of the CARE Tool. Please note that these are the April 2008 versions and they will change as we gain experience with the CARE Tool.
