WHEREAS:
In an environment marked by soaring costs, the U.S. health care system is also characterized by shocking lapses in quality; and

WHEREAS:
These lapses increase the burden, complications and cost of treatment; and

WHEREAS:
This poor quality is manifested by under-treatment--such as failure to recommend proven therapies when appropriate, over-treatment--including the high rate of unnecessary surgeries, and actual medical errors--including 1.5 million annual medication errors; and

WHEREAS:
It is estimated that only 50 percent of patients receive appropriate preventive health care; and

WHEREAS:
Poor quality health care is responsible for 225,000 deaths annually in the United States; and

WHEREAS:
In addition to adverse health outcomes, poor quality care adds 30 percent to total health care costs. These costs come in the form of treatment required to address the effects of inappropriate care, as well as unnecessary tests and treatments; and

WHEREAS:
Front-line health care workers are the strongest advocates for health care quality, but too often, rather than involving them in efforts to improve quality, health care administrators blame them for quality problems.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will make quality improvement a major component of our health care reform efforts. We will support policies at the federal and state levels which reward quality and encourage health plans and providers to improve performance. Such policies include promoting implementation of health care information technology, restructuring reimbursement in public health care programs to align with quality measurements, initiatives to reduce hospital-acquired infections and prescribing errors, and establishment of national evidence-based standards to improve health care practice; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will leverage its power as a purchaser of health care coverage, and will work to develop the capacity of its affiliates, to negotiate with health plans and providers on issues of quality, and will utilize comparative analysis regarding quality measures to drive improvement and accountability; andBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will participate in national groups, such as the National Quality Forum, to help establish new performance standards and reporting guidelines that will streamline data collection to yield comprehensive information on quality that can be used by both purchasers and consumers to aid in health care decision-making; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
AFSCME will help its members become more discerning health care consumers by supporting the dissemination of tools and materials to foster informed health care decisions, including health care report cards, databases and other vehicles; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
AFSCME recognizes that the ultimate key to transforming the American health care system into a high quality, high performance system is involving frontline health care staff in all quality improvement efforts. This requires that health care staff play a central role in all planning, system design, implementation and reporting efforts. Adequate staff training and methods for ongoing feedback to improve systems are essential.
 
 
SUBMITTED BY: Mary Lou Millar, President
Marie Sepiol, Executive Secretary
CHCA/NUHHCE/AFSCME Local 1199
Connecticut