CMS-10294.Appendix D (8-23-10)

APPENDIX D
PROJECT DESCRIPTION FOR ADVANCE MAILINGS

PROGRAM EVALUATION OF THE EIGHTH AND NINTH SCOPE OF WORK
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

Sponsoring Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare &
Medicaid Services
Prime Contractor: Mathematica Policy Research
Contract #: HHSM-500-2005-00025I (0010)
Other Organizations Participating: Abt Associates Inc., Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.
Project Synopsis:
In August of 2008, Mathematica was selected by CMS to evaluate the 9th Scopes of Work
of the Quality Improvement Organization Program. As a part of this large evaluation effort,
Mathematica is working to estimate the impact of the QIO Program on beneficiaries’ quality of
care, to identify the most effective methods, tools, and interventions for quality improvement,
and to recommend program improvements.
The 9th SOW evaluation began in May 2009, and includes the collection of new data
through surveys to providers and QIOs, and discussions with QIOs and partner staff. More
specifically, data collection includes:
• A national web-based survey of QIO Directors and Theme Leaders (summer/fall
2010)
• Telephone discussions with QIO Partners for the Care Transitions and Prevention –
Chronic Kidney Disease themes (late 2010/early 2011)
• A national survey of hospitals and nursing homes (late 2010/early 2011)
• Week-long site visits to 12 states’ QIOs, providers that worked with them, and
community health leaders representing hospital, nursing home, and physician
stakeholders (late 2010/early 2011)
The evaluation will include both descriptive and multivariate analyses, using both the new
data collected by Mathematica, and secondary data reported by the QIOs. The evaluators have
access to data already reported by QIOs to CMS, and will maximize use of this data to ensure
efficiency. The progress and findings of the evaluation will be documented in quarterly reports
beginning in July 2009, a mid-course report in December 2010 and will culminate in a final
report in October 2011.

D.3

Project Director and Key Staff:
• Myles Maxfield, Ph.D, Vice President and Director of Health Research, MPR’s
Washington DC Office, Project Director - [email protected] or
(202) 484-4682
• Arnold Chen, MD, Senior Clinician Researcher, Principal Investigator for
Quantitative Analysis
• Suzanne Felt-Lisk, MPA, Senior Health Researcher, Principal Investigator for
Qualitative Analysis

D.4

APPENDIX D
PROJECT DESCRIPTION FOR ADVANCE MAILINGS