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President's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry

President's Advisory Commission Releases
Final Report on Improving Health Care Quality

March 12, 1998

Contact:
Chip Malin or Richard Sorian
(202) 205-3333

A Presidential Advisory Commission today released its final report entitled "Quality First: Better Health Care for All Americans", recommending steps to provide a "national commitment to improving health care quality."

"Every day, millions of Americans receive high-quality health care that helps to maintain or restore their health and ability to function," the report says. But "too many patients receive substandard care," it adds. The Commission identifies four areas of health care that require attention:

Major Recommendations

To move the Nation forward in improving the quality of health care, the Commission recommends the creation of two advisory bodies. A public Advisory Council on Health Care Quality would establish national aims for improvement that would target areas most in need of attention, along with a series of objectives for improvement in each area. The Council would track progress toward improving the quality of health care as well as improvements in consumer protection. A private Forum for Health Care Quality Measurement and Reporting would harness the power of private employers, public programs, consumers, health care practitioners, health plans, accreditation bodies, and others to establish a core set of quality measures that would provide the public with clear indications of the quality of care available to them.

The Commission recommends an initial set of aims for improvement as follows:

The Commission's final report also includes its recommendations for a Consumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities in health care. Included in that document are recommendations covering the following:

Free copies of the Commission's report can be downloaded from the Commission's World Wide Web site (www.hcqualitycommission.gov). Printed copies are available by calling, 800/732-8200 or writing to Consumer Bill of Rights, Box 2429, Columbia, MD 21045-1429.

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Last Revised: Friday, June 19, 1998