Quality Guidelines

A variety of organizations are involved in quality and safety efforts in health care. For this Discussion, you and your colleagues will take an in-depth look at some of these organizations.

To prepare for this Discussion, select one of the following organizations to research:

• The Joint Commission http://www.jointcommission.org/
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) http://www.ncqa.org/
• Utilization Review Accreditation Commission (URAC) http://www.urac.org/
• The Leapfrog Group http://www.leapfroggroup.org/
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO) http://www.iso.org/iso/home.html
• Baldrige http://www.nist.gov/baldrige/
• Magnet http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet.aspx
• National Quality Forum (NQF) http://www.qualityforum.org/
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Center for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety http://www.ahrq.gov/
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) http://www.ihi.org/ihi

View the organization's Web site and conduct additional research to investigate the role that this organization plays with regard to quality and safety. Find and evaluate the guidelines proposed by this organization, and pay particular attention to the strengths and limitations of these guidelines.

Post by Day 4 a response to the following:

• Identify the organization you have selected in the first line of your posting.
• Analyze the role that this organization plays with regard to health care quality and safety.
• Summarize the key guidelines proposed by this organization. Assess significant strengths and limitations of these guidelines.