ECRI Institute selected for CMS’ Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected ECRI Institute as a Prime awardee of the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC). This designation will allow NQIICs to bid on task orders over the next five years.

As a Prime NQIIC awardee partnering with other Quality Improvement contractors under the new CMS Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract mechanism to support quality improvement efforts, each NQIIC may serve as:

·   Quality improvement experts

·   Facilitators/change agents for healthcare transformation by achieving bold aims at a high value

·   Innovators of quality improvement

As a NQIIC awardee, ECRI Institute has demonstrated healthcare quality improvement expertise. Services supported by some of the NQIIC awardees may include:

·   Provide direct technical assistance in specific areas of healthcare quality improvement (e.g., patient safety, opioid misuse, nursing home quality, etc.)

·   Seek and gain commitments from patients, providers, and stakeholders to achieve aims

·   Use a human centered design that involves teaming with patient and family members to improve healthcare processes and outcomes

·   Focus on helping providers and healthcare organizations achieve quantitative results for improved outcomes, lower costs, better care, less provider burden, greater transparency, and more

·   Support a diverse array of organizations and populations, including: rural providers, vulnerable beneficiaries, clinical practices, hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, and more

·   Support providers in efficient use of Health Information Technology and interoperability

·   Serve as backbone organizations to form and engage Community Coalitions

·   Convene and support Learning and Action Networks (LANs)