(a) There is established a quality of care program within the Department of Public Health. The department shall develop for the purposes of said program (1) a standardized data set to measure the clinical performance of health care facilities, as defined in section 19a-630, and require such data to be collected and reported periodically to the department, including, but not limited to, data for the measurement of comparable patient satisfaction, and (2) methods to provide public accountability for health care delivery systems by such facilities. The department shall develop such set and methods for hospitals during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, and the committee established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall consider and may recommend to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health the inclusion of other health care facilities in each subsequent year.

(b) In carrying out its responsibilities under subsection (a) of this section, the department shall develop the following for the quality of care program:

(1) Comparable performance measures to be reported;

(2) Selection of patient satisfaction survey measures and instruments;

(3) Methods and format of standardized data collection;

(4) Format for a public quality performance measurement report;

(5) Human resources and quality measurements;

(6) Medical error reduction methods;

(7) Systems for sharing and implementing universally accepted best practices;

(8) Systems for reporting outcome data;

(9) Systems for continuum of care;

(10) Recommendations concerning the use of an ISO 9000 quality auditing program;

(11) Recommendations concerning the types of statutory protection needed prior to collecting any data or information under this section and sections 19a-127m and 19a-127n; and

(12) Any other issues that the department deems appropriate.

(c) (1) There is established a Quality of Care Advisory Committee which shall advise the Department of Public Health on the issues set forth in subdivisions (1) to (12), inclusive, of subsection (b) of this section. The advisory committee may meet at the discretion of the Commissioner of Public Health.

(2) Said committee shall create a standing subcommittee on best practices. The subcommittee shall (A) advise the department on effective methods for sharing with providers the quality improvement information learned from the department’s review of reports and corrective action plans, including quality improvement practices, patient safety issues and preventative strategies, (B) not later than January 1, 2006, review and make recommendations concerning best practices with respect to when breast cancer screening should be conducted using comprehensive ultrasound screening or mammogram examinations, and (C) not later than January 1, 2008, study and make recommendations to the department concerning best practices with respect to communications between a patient’s primary care provider and other providers involved in a patient’s care, including hospitalists and specialists. The department shall, at least quarterly, disseminate information regarding quality improvement practices, patient safety issues and preventative strategies to the subcommittee and hospitals.

(d) The advisory committee shall consist of (1) four members who represent and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Hospital Association, including three members who represent three separate hospitals that are not affiliated of which one such hospital is an academic medical center; (2) one member who represents and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Nursing Association; (3) two members who represent and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Medical Society, including one member who is an active medical care provider; (4) two members who represent and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, including one member who represents a large business and one member who represents a small business; (5) one member who represents and shall be appointed by the Home Health Care Association; (6) one member who represents and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities; (7) one member who represents and shall be appointed by LeadingAge Connecticut, Inc.; (8) two members who represent and shall be appointed by the AFL-CIO; (9) one member who represents consumers of health care services and who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Public Health; (10) one member who represents a school of public health and who shall be appointed by the Commissioner of Public Health; (11) the Commissioner of Public Health or said commissioner’s designee; (12) the Commissioner of Social Services or said commissioner’s designee; (13) the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management or said secretary’s designee; (14) two members who represent licensed health plans and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Association of Health Care Plans; (15) one member who represents and shall be appointed by the federally designated state peer review organization; and (16) one member who represents and shall be appointed by the Connecticut Pharmaceutical Association. The chairperson of the advisory committee shall be the Commissioner of Public Health or said commissioner’s designee. The chairperson of the committee, with a vote of the majority of the members present, may appoint ex-officio nonvoting members in specialties not represented among voting members. Vacancies shall be filled by the person who makes the appointment under this subsection.

(e) The chairperson of the advisory committee may designate one or more working groups to address specific issues and shall appoint the members of each working group. Each working group shall report its findings and recommendations to the full advisory committee.

(f) The Commissioner of Public Health shall report on the quality of care program on or before June 30, 2003, and annually thereafter, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health and to the Governor. Each report on said program shall include activities of the program during the prior year and a plan of activities for the following year.

(g) On or before April 1, 2004, the Commissioner of Public Health shall prepare a report, available to the public, that compares all licensed hospitals in the state based on the quality performance measures developed under the quality of care program.

(h) (1) The advisory committee shall examine and evaluate (A) possible approaches that would aid in the utilization of an existing data collection system for cardiac outcomes, and (B) the potential for state-wide use of a data collection system for cardiac outcomes, for the purpose of continuing the delivery of quality cardiac care services in the state.

(2) On or before December 1, 2007, the advisory committee shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, the results of the examination authorized by this subsection, along with any recommendations, to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health.

(i) The advisory committee shall establish methods for informing the public regarding access to the department’s consumer and regulatory services.

(j) The Department of Public Health may seek out funding for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section. Said provisions shall be implemented upon receipt of such funding.

(P.A. 02-125, S. 1; P.A. 04-164, S. 3; P.A. 05-167, S. 1; 05-272, S. 30; P.A. 06-195, S. 41; P.A. 08-184, S. 56; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 32; P.A. 10-122, S. 2; P.A. 12-197, S. 13; P.A. 17-146, S. 17.)

History: P.A. 04-164 amended Subsec. (c) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) re best practices subcommittee, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-167 added new Subsec. (h) requiring advisory committee to examine, evaluate and report re data collection system for cardiac outcomes and redesignated existing Subsec. (h) as Subsec. (i), effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 05-272 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by designating existing provision re subcommittee duties as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) requiring subcommittee to review and make recommendations concerning best practices re breast cancer screening; P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (c)(2) by adding Subpara. (C) re study and recommendations concerning best practices with respect to communications between the primary care provider and other providers involved in a patient’s care; P.A. 08-184 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by substituting “semiannually” for “quarterly” re committee meeting, effective July 1, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 amended Subsec. (d) by deleting former Subdiv. (11) re committee member appointed by Office of Health Care Access and redesignating existing Subdivs. (12) to (17) as Subdivs. (11) to (16), effective October 6, 2009; P.A. 10-122 added new Subsec. (i) re advisory committee’s responsibility for establishing methods for informing public regarding department’s consumer and regulatory services, redesignated existing Subsec. (i) as Subsec. (j) and made a technical change therein, effective July 1, 2010; P.A. 12-197 amended Subsec. (d)(7) by replacing reference to Connecticut Association of Not-For-Profit Providers for the Aging with reference to LeadingAge Connecticut, Inc; P.A. 17-146 amended Subsec. (c)(1) by replacing provision re advisory committee to meet at least semiannually with provision re advisory committee may meet at discretion of commissioner.