Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety

First Call Resolution and Do Not Call Back Policy

This policy requires first call resolution for all patients requesting appointments at all Air Force medical treatment facilities. Under this policy, beneficiaries will not be asked to call back for an appointment.

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 6/5/2015
• Type: Memorandums
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | Access to Health Care | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients)

MHS IM-IT Submission Form

Fill out the MHS IM-IT Submission Form to submit an idea to foster change to an IM/IT capability, policy/process, or system.

First Call Resolution and Expeditious Reply to Patient Policy

This policy requires first call resolution for all patients requesting appointments at all National Capital Region Medical Directorate medical treatment facilities. Under this policy, beneficiaries will not be asked to call back for an appointment.

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 4/27/2015
• Type: Memorandums
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | Access to Health Care | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients)

First call Resolution and Do Not Call Back Policy

This Army OTSG/MEDCOM policy identifies responsibilities of MTF commanders, primary care, specialty care and other stakeholders identified in the appointing process to ensure patient satisfaction for our beneficiaries; outlines use of alternative portals such as Army Medicine Secure Messaging, Nurse Advice Line and TRICARE Online; specific procedures are also identified to correctly transfer calls in accordance with existing access to care standards, referral management protocols, and proper use of managing clinic schedules to ensure appointing success the first time one of our patients seeks access.

• Identification #: OTSG/MEDCOM Policy Memo 15-019
• Date: 4/2/2015
• Type: Memorandums
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | Access to Health Care

Credentialing and Privileging Program

This instruction updates and reissue policy and procedures for the Credentialing and Privileging Program for the Department of the Navy (DON) as part of the DON Clinical Quality Management Program (CQMP).

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 3/27/2015
• Type: Instructions
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | Patient Safety

Air Force Instruction 44-102: Medical Care Management

This instruction implements Air Force Policy Directive (AFPD) 44-1, Medical Operations, and provides guidance for the organization and delivery of medical care. It implements various publications of Department of Defense (DoD), recognized professional organizations, the Joint Commission (TJC), the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and appropriate health and safety agencies

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 3/17/2015
• Type: Instructions
• Topics: MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety

Evaluation of the TRICARE Program Fiscal Year 2015 Report to Congress

The Evaluation of the TRICARE Program: Access, Cost, and Quality, Fiscal Year 2015 Report to Congress is provided by the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA)/Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO)—Defense Health Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (DHCAPE), in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) (OASD/HA).This evaluation report presents results trended over at least the most recent three fiscal years, where programs are mature and data permit. MHS cost, quality, and access data are compared with corresponding comparable civilian benchmarks, such as comparing beneficiary-reported access and experience to results from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), comparing our quality measures to the national expectations and results of the Joint Commission, and comparing healthrisky behavior to Healthy People 2020 objectives.

Non-Availability of Patient Appointments at Medical Treatment Facilities

This policy is to be implemented immediately to ensure patients are not told to call back the next day for an appointment.

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 2/12/2015
• Type: Memorandums
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | Access to Health Care | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients)

Continuing Health Education Update

Continuing Health Education Update presented to the Defense Health Board

Form Follows Function Pursuing a World Class System for Health

Form Follows Function: Pursuing a World-Class System for Health

MEDCOM Regulation 40-49: Medical Services Surgical Counts

This regulation provides guidelines for accountability of items used during operative and other invasive procedures (inclusive of minimally invasive procedures) to ensure they are not retained in a patient. This regulation addresses which items will, at a minimum, be counted, as well as when, how, and by whom the surgical count will be performed.

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 1/21/2015
• Type: Guidelines
• Topics: MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients) | Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety

Medical Ethics Subcommittee Update on Dual Loyalties of Medical Providers Tasking

Medical Ethics Subcommittee Update on Dual Loyalties of Medical Providers Tasking presented to the Defense Health Board

Continuing Health Education Tasking Update

Continuing Health Education Tasking Update presented to the Defense Health Board

Air Force Instruction 44-176: Access to Care Continuum

This publication implements AFPD 44-1, Medical Operations. It provides guidance and procedures for Access to Care (ATC) operations within the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS). It establishes the roles, responsibilities, definitions and requirements for implementing, sustaining and managing ATC for AFMS Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs).

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 10/30/2014
• Type: Instructions
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | Access to Health Care

Army OTSG/MEDCOM Policy Memo 14-085: Prevention of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI)

This policy memo provides standardized definitions, standardized guidelines for insertion and maintenance of urinary catheters, and standardized processes for data collection and reporting of CAUTIs.

• Identification #: N/A
• Date: 10/23/2014
• Type: Memorandums
• Topics: Access, Cost, Quality, and Safety | MHS Quality, Patient Safety, and Access Information (for Patients)