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Nationally Respected Head of CareScience Research to Present at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement 17th Annual National Forum

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 December 2005, 12:00 CST

Research Presented at Event will Focus on Role of Hospital Leadership in Successful Quality Improvement Initiatives

CareScience, a division of Quovadx, Inc. (Nasdaq: QVDX) providing care management, clinical analysis and clinical quality improvement solutions, will participate in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's (IHI) 17th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare, presenting original research at the Scientific Symposium arm of the Forum. CareScience, recently named an official data intermediary for the IHI 100,000 Lives Campaign, will also exhibit during the conference. The event will be held from December 11, 2005, through December 14, 2005, at the Orlando World Center Marriott & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

At this year's event, Dr. Eugene Kroch, Ph.D., vice president of research for CareScience, will be presenting his research entitled "Relating Clinical Performance to Hospital Leadership and Governance." Dr. Kroch's research focuses on examining the relationship between quality-oriented governance measures and documented measures of hospital quality. In his presentation, Dr. Kroch will explain the research findings: that better quality outcomes are strongly related to the involvement of the hospital board in quality improvement, and that incentive alignment among executives and physician leadership is tied to higher marks in measured quality.

The original research that serves as a basis for the presentation was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and co-authored by Thomas E. Vaughn, Ph.D., of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA. Results are based on responses from approximately 400 acute-care facilities in eight states to a survey created in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Public Health, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, ActiveStrategy, CareScience and the National Committee for Quality Healthcare (NCQHC). The survey was distributed by state hospital associations by email and administered via an on-line survey tool in February 2005.

"Our research suggests that strong and involved leadership at the highest levels of an organization is important to fulfill the promise of quality improvement in healthcare," said Kroch. "Moreover, the 'business case for quality' depends on strategies that align the incentives of healthcare providers, payers, and consumers alike to drive the delivery of quality care while containing costs. When hospital boards and executive management involve physicians in strategic planning and quality monitoring, they can better allocate time and capital resources that guide quality improvement plans to success."

Dr. Kroch will be presenting as part of the Eleventh Annual Scientific Symposium on Improving the Quality and Value of Health Care, held in conjunction with the IHI National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care. The goal of the Scientific Symposium is to provide a forum in which investigators from around the world can introduce new work for peer review and discussion on the science of improving health care and health professionals' education. The Scientific Symposium will take place on December 12, 2005, on site at the IHI Annual National Forum. Dr. Kroch's presentation will be held on December 12, 2005, at 10:00 a.m. ET in Grand 11-14. Registered attendees and media are welcome. An abstract of Dr. Kroch's presentation can be found online at: http://www.scientificsymposium.org/pdf/2005/Kroch.pdf.

CareScience is also a participant in IHI's 100,000 Lives Campaign. The 100,000 Lives Campaign is an initiative to engage U.S. hospitals in a commitment to implement changes in care proven to improve patient care and prevent avoidable deaths. The Campaign is the first national effort to promote saving a specified number of lives by June 14, 2006. As part of this campaign, CareScience has been named a certified data intermediary.

"The benefits of quality improvement, coupled with the growing movement toward increased public reporting and pay for performance has made understanding and implementing successful quality improvement initiatives even more critical for hospitals today," stated Thomas Zajac, president of CareScience and executive vice president for Quovadx.

"We are excited to take part in the upcoming IHI National Forum to elevate the dialogue on these subjects and to continue to help clinician executives meet the increasing challenge of improving clinical processes and outcomes, and ultimately improve patient care."

CareScience will be exhibiting at the IHI 17th Annual National Forum. The CareScience booth, #310, will be located in the Exhibition Hall. Exhibition hours at the event begin on December 12, 2005, at 3:30 p.m.

About CareScience

CareScience, a division of Quovadx, Inc. (Nasdaq: QVDX), assists hospitals in translating organizational vision and goals into quality improvement plans that optimize patient outcomes and operational performance, increase staff efficiency and reduce costs. CareScience supplies the people and technology to help its customers ensure that high-quality care is delivered, throughout the healthcare system, through clinical data access and clinical process transformation. For more information, please visit www.carescience.com.

QUOVADX is a trademark of Quovadx, Inc. All other company and product names mentioned may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

Source: Business Wire

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