Findings from the Aligning Forces
for Quality Project
More information regarding AF4Q evaluation team at:
http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/CHCPR/activities/project_alignforce.html
Project funding provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Local variations in health care are a
longstanding puzzle
Need for improved quality, value of care
Little known about how to achieve changes to
improve local system performance
Prominence in context of health reform
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Multistakeholder collaboratives as catalyst for
change in local health systems
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Funding, technical assistance, data
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Focus:
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public reporting
consumer engagement
quality improvement
disparities
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Models of community level change
Impact of aligning efforts in public reporting,
consumer engagement, and quality
improvement
Evidence base for policymakers, foundation,
and communities
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Alliance Survey (2007, n=602; 2009, n=tbd).
◦ Web survey of stakeholders on governance issues
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Consumer Survey (2007-2008, n=8,079)
◦ Chronically ill in 14 communities + national sample
◦ Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, asthma,
depression
◦ Care experiences, public reporting, engagement in care
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Physician Survey (2008-2009, n=1,809)
◦ Small and medium size practices in 14 AF4Q
communities + national sample
◦ Use of care management practices and QI incentives
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Key informant interviews of stakeholders
◦ Site visits (2006-07; 2009-10); follow up calls every
6 months
◦ Vision, governance, activities resources, barriers
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Tracking (ongoing)
◦ Alliance composition, activities, market context
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Secondary sources
◦ Dartmouth Atlas
◦ H-CAHPS
Key Informant
Interviews
Key Informant
Interviews
Key Informant
Interviews
Alliance
Survey
Alliance
Survey
Alliance
Survey
Consumer
Survey
Physician
Survey
Secondary Data
Sources
Secondary Data
Sources
Alliance
Tracking
Alliance
Tracking
Alliance
Tracking
Alliance
Tracking
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Jeff Alexander – University of Michigan
Jeff Beich – Penn State University
Jon Christianson – University of Minnesota
Romana Hasnain-Wynia – Northwestern
Bob Hurley – Virginia Commonwealth (retired)
Patricia Keenan – Yale
Jessica Mittler – Penn State University
Dennis Scanlon – Penn State University (PI)
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Participation in Multi-Stakeholder Collaboratives
 Jessica Mittler, Pennsylvania State University
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Determinants of Self-Reported Awareness and Use of
Public Reports by Chronically Ill Individuals
 Jon Christianson, University of Minnesota
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Community-Level Initiatives to Execute Consumer
Engagement Activities: Toward a Conceptual
Framework
 Grant Martsolf, Pennsylvania State University
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Community Level Efforts to Improve QI: Lessons from
a “Pay for Participation” Pilot
 Dennis Scanlon, Pennsylvania State University