AQA Announcements

In September 2004, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the American College of Physicians (ACP), America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), joined together to lead an effort for determining, under the most expedient timeframe, how to most effectively and efficiently improve performance measurement, data aggregation, and reporting in the ambulatory care setting.

Originally known as the Ambulatory Care Quality Alliance, the coalition is now known as the AQA alliance. The AQA is a large voluntary multi-stakeholder collaborative of physicians and other clinicians, consumers, purchasers, health plans, and others who strive to meet its responsibilities in an effective, efficient, public and transparent manner. The mission of the AQA is to:

improve patient safety, health care quality and value in all settings through a collaborative process in which key stakeholders agree on and promote strategies to:

  • implement performance measurement at the physician and other clinician or group level;
  • collect and aggregate data in the most appropriate way; and
  • report meaningful information to consumers, physicians and other clinicians, and other stakeholders to inform decision-making and improve outcomes.

The AQA’s goals have historically focused on reaching consensus on:

  • A set of measures for assessing physician and other clinician performance that stakeholders can use in private health insurance plan efforts and with government purchaser programs;
  • A multi-year strategy to roll-out additional measurement sets and implement measures into the marketplace;
  • A model (including framework and governing structure) for aggregating, sharing and stewarding data; and
  • Critical steps needed for reporting useful information to providers, consumers and purchasers.

AQA’s mission and goals focus on key areas that can help identify quality gaps, control skyrocketing cost trends, reduce confusion over redundant measures and alleviate administrative burdens in the marketplace.

To work towards these goals the AQA has established several Committees and Workgroups:

  • Steering Group
    • Strategic Planning Committee
    • Governance/Membership Committee
  • Performance Measurement Workgroup
  • Data Sharing and Aggregation Workgroup
  • Reporting Workgroup

The Steering Group and Committee/Workgroup chairs have been strongly encouraged by the support and participation by a broad range of stakeholder groups in moving toward this goal. AQA’s leadership includes steering group members that represent the broad range of groups participating in the organization.

AQA Strategic Plan 2010, approved October 28, 2010

 
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