Clinical Quality Advisory Committee


About the Clinical Quality Advisory Committee


Mission:

To provide expert advice to the AIDS Institute in the development and implementation of the New York State HIV Quality of Care Program.


Background:

The NYS HIV Quality of Care Advisory Committee (QAC) has been active since 1992. The Committee meets quarterly, and is currently composed of clinical representatives from Designated AIDS Centers, Health and Hospitals facilities, Special Needs Plans (SNPs), community health centers, and drug treatment programs throughout New York State. Committee members represent a variety of clinical disciplines, and include nurse practitioners, clinical pharmacists, physicians, social workers, and program administrators.


Scope of Work:

The Advisory Committee identifies priorities for evaluating the quality of HIV care and considers proposed quality indicators. The committee also recommends refinements to existing HIV care indicators as well as development of review criteria. Further, the committee reviews annual performance measurement results to recommend priority areas of focus for the State. Previous QAC work has considered retention in care, use of electronic health records and regional health information organizations to improve patient care, measuring patient mortality as a quality outcome, visualizing performance data, and the integration of STI and HIV services.


Recent Committee Activities:

 

Relationship with Consumer Advisory Committee:

In 2002, the AIDS Institute officially established the New York State Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC is comprised of at least two members from each region of NYS to ensure representation and communication. Together, the CAC and QAC form a uniquely generative relationship, with each committee providing perspective and insight into quality of care and indicator development. The close relationship between the two committees challenges the patient-provider dichotomy that often hinders quality of care discussions. Co-chairs attend the meetings which have overlapping agenda items and set aside time for updates from the partner committee. Members of both committees are welcome to attend and participate in the meetings of the other. Joint meetings of the CAC, YACAC and QAC were held in September 2014 and 2015 and December 2017.

Recommendations from these meetings critically informed significant NYSDOH AI initiatives including, but not limited to the following: