Toolbox Contents
Child Health Care Quality Toolbox
The Child Health Toolbox contains concepts, tips, and tools for evaluating the quality of health care for children.
Understanding Quality Measurement
What Is Quality Measurement for Children?How Is Quality Measurement Used?
What Does Quality Measurement Require?
What Do Quality Measurement Results Tell Us?
What Types of Measures Can We Use?
How Can We Interpret Results?
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Uses of Quality Measurement
Accountability Quality Improvement Reporting Results- Know Your Audience
- Consider a Pilot Year
- Involve Your Stakeholders
- Consider Focus Groups
- Plan Your Dissemination Strategy
Why Child Health Measures?
Developmental Status and Change
Differential Epidemiology
Dependence
Demographic Patterns
Children with Chronic Health Conditions
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Established Child Health Care Quality Measures
Overview: Existing Measurement Sets
Advantages of Using Established Measures
Quality Measures in State Reports
CAHPS®: Consumer Assessment of Health Plans
- Expanded CAHPS® 3.0 Child Survey
- Children with Chronic Conditions
- Availability
- Users
- Comparisons and Trends
- Benchmarking and Databases
- Service Delivery and Units of Analysis
- Length-of-Enrollment Requirements
- Data Issues
- Small Numbers
- Resource and Burden Issues
- Development Process
- Criteria Used
- More Information and User Support
AHRQ QIs: AHRQ Quality Indicators
- Child Indicators Included
- Availability
- Users
- Comparisons and Trends
- Service Delivery and Units of Analysis
- Length-of-Enrollment Requirements
- Data Issues
- Development Process
- Criteria Used
- More Information and User Support
HEDIS®: Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set
- Child Measures Included
- Users
- Comparisons and Trends
- Benchmarking and Databases
- Service Delivery and Units of Analysis
- Length-of-Enrollment Requirements
- Data Issues
- Sample Sizes
- Resource and Burden Issues
- Development Process
- Criteria Used
- More Information and User Support
Title V Maternal and Child Health Programs
- Child Measures Included
- Users
- Comparisons and Trends
- Benchmarking and Databases
- Service Delivery and Units of Analysis
- Length-of-Enrollment Requirements
- Data Issues
- Resource and Burden Issues
- Development Process
- Criteria Used
- More Information and User Support
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI): Promoting Healthy Development Survey (PHDS)
- Availability
- Child Measures Included
- Users
- Comparisons and Trends
- Benchmarking and Databases
- Service Delivery and Units of Analysis
- Length-of-Enrollment Requirements
- Data Issues
- Sample Sizes
- Resource and Burden Issues
- Development Process
- Criteria Used
- More Information and User Support
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI): Young Adult Health Care Survey (YAHCS)
- Availability
- Child Measures Included
- Users
- Comparisons and Trends
- Benchmarking and Databases
- Service Delivery and Units of Analysis
- Length-of-Enrollment Requirements
- Data Issues
- Sample Sizes
- Resource and Burden Issues
- Development Process
- Criteria Used
- More Information and User Support
Examples of How States Use Quality Measures
- Arizona
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington State
- Wisconsin
Mental Health Quality Measures
- Overview
- Experience of Care and Health Outcomes Survey (ECHO™)
- National Inventory of Mental Health Quality Measures
Emerging Measures
Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI)
- Ambulatory Care Sensitive Hospitalization Measurement Project
- Medical Home for Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN)
- Mental and Behavioral Quality Measures for Children and Adolescents
Choosing Quality Measures
Factors to Consider- Making Comparisons
- Databases and Benchmarks
- Trends Over Time
- Service Delivery Systems
- Unit of Analysis
- Staff Experience and User Support
- Costs
Reviewing Some Selected Measures
Develop Your Own?
- Have You Identified the Significant Health Problems of Your Target Population(s)?
- Do Measures Already Exist that Accurately Assess Quality in Your Area of Interest?
- Have You Clearly Defined the Anticipated Uses of the Resulting Quality Information?
- Are There Other Methods of Obtaining Comparable Information?
- Have You Examined Your Assumptions About Causality?
Developing Detailed Specifications
Data Issues to Keep in Mind
- Push the Envelope—But Not Too Hard
- Learn and Use the "Typical" Data Sources
- Consider Using Encounter or Claims Data—Very Carefully
Sampling
Reliability and Validity
Field Testing
An Alternative to Consider: Customizing Existing Measures
State-Designed and State-Negotiated Quality Measures
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Resources
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children
Advancing State Child Indicators Initiatives
