The Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program partners with community-based organizations, health departments, emergency medical services, Area Agencies on Aging, faith communities, patient and family advocates and other national and community partners on health care initiatives designed to improve health care quality, access, value and equity for people with Medicare. 

QIO Program initiatives involving national and community partners focus on four priority areas: 

Opioid Utilization and Misuse 

The QIO Program collaborates with community partners to spread evidence-based practices and resources to decrease adverse drug events and deaths from opioids. It also works with community partners to spread resources for implementing pain management and opioid use best practices such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT), prescription monitoring, naloxone distribution and other community-based strategies. 

Care Coordination 

People with Medicare whose care is not well coordinated when they move to a new care setting are at a higher risk for adverse outcomes, including medication errors, adverse drug events and avoidable visits to the hospital. The QIO Program works with community partners to better coordinate care with post-acute providers, patients and their families and improve communication when patients transition across care settings. It also collaborates with these partners to connect patients to community services so they can stay healthy at home. 

COVID-19 

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted health care providers and has led to reductions in patient volume and revenue, staffing shortages and burnout. The QIO Program shares timely information about regulations and guidance along with promising practices and resources that address communities’ most pressing needs. These include overcoming vaccine hesitancy and providing access to federal resources to support local COVID-19 response. 

Immunizations 

Immunizations are the most effective way to prevent infections that pose the highest risk to people with Medicare – COVID-19, influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia. The QIO Program shares evidence-based strategies and promising practices with national and community partners that are critical for implementing a successful vaccination program.