7/25/2019
Social determinants of health (SDH) are the conditions in which people live, work, and age and include factors like housing stability, employment status, geographic location, education, and other socioeconomic circumstances. SDH, often determined by distribution of wealth and resources, has proven responsible for inequities in healthcare and has become its biggest cost-driver.
2/13/2019
By CARF International
CARF shares best practices related to outcomes management through
its standards. To complement that effort, here are some recent field examples
of outcomes systems’ improving performance.
1/3/2019
By CARF International
As providers, regulators, and payers in health and human
services around the world seek value and efficiency, many are adopting new
standards, integrating new methods, reviewing existing regulations, and
exploring innovative practices from other countries.
12/4/2018
By CARF International
Services for the UnderServed used accreditation standards
as part of a wholesale commitment to performance management. Now the
organization is well positioned to market itself within value-based and other
outcomes-based payment models.
11/29/2018
By CARF International
Many payers are exploring value- and performance-based
payment models in which providers are reimbursed for positive outcomes. Most
analysts believe such payment systems, which offer lower costs for payers, are
the wave of the future.
5/17/2018
By CARF International
A recent report discusses the future of community-based
human services. The first four initiatives are directly supported by CARF
standards, meaning, if you’re a CBO applying the standards for accreditation,
you’re likely strengthening the overall ecosystem. Here are the standards and
other CARF resources that can offer guidance to your organization.
2/28/2018
CARF’s winter Transforming Outcomes Institute concluded on February 24.
It hosted more than 100 participants in Tucson, AZ. Here’s a visual breakdown of the
training.
11/8/2017
By Betty O'Keefe, publications & communications, CARF International
Standards for business practices in health and human services are
robust and forward-looking in the CARF model. However, this important
area can be underemphasized or overlooked entirely by other accreditors.
David Wilber, executive director of Diversified Enterprises and long-time CARF
surveyor, witnessed
the difference in results and volunteered his perspective for the white
paper Developing sophisticated systems for success, recently published by BB&T Capital Markets. In the following
article, Wilber describes his path to understanding how CARF is a
differentiator for organizations seeking to survive, compete, and thrive in
this increasingly complex service arena.
6/7/2017
By Brad Contento, Corporate Communications, CARF International
Gathering consumer feedback with uSPEQ survey tools has been gaining
traction within hospitals across China over the past two years. It is part of a
larger quality improvement groundswell happening in the country.
8/31/2016
Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is beginning to share the results from a three-year research project on the outcomes of an enhanced person-centered care initiative (including spinal cord injury peer mentorship) and how those strategies can be affordably replicated elsewhere.
2/16/2016
By Michael Johnson, Managing Director of Behavioral Health, CARF International
What we are seeing today, for the first time in my career, is a mainstream attitude in the United States that mental health treatment should be on par and equal with that of other illnesses. However, growth in service offerings has been slow. We must utilize this historic opportunity to move forward with greater capacity and efforts toward integrating mental and behavioral healthcare with primary healthcare. As part of CARF’s 50th year anniversary, we will be sharing snapshots of the industries in which we offer accreditation services. This is part 2 of that series: Behavioral Health.
10/24/2012
By Maria Walker, Employment Program Planner, Polk County Health Services
To paraphrase a popular
book title, it takes a village to reduce the large unemployment rate for
persons with mental illness and intellectual or other developmental
disabilities. Increasing employment opportunities for these individuals is
every service provider’s responsibility. Polk County Health Services (PCHS) in
the Des Moines, Iowa, area works with a network of providers in the community
to increase employment outcomes. This approach was presented at a CARF
employment and community services conference in 2012.