What is an Improvement Partnership?
An Improvement Partnership (IP) is a durable state or regional collaboration of public and private partners that uses measurement-based efforts and a systems approach to improve child health outcomes and the quality of their healthcare. IPs draw from the collective expertise of their partners, including representatives from state public health, mental health, education and Medicaid agencies; professional organizations (e.g. local chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians); academic medical center pediatric departments; policymakers; private insurers; schools; pediatricians; family practitioners; obstetricians and others to:
- create a unified vision around issues related to child/adolescent healthcare and health outcomes and
- develop concrete, measurement-based efforts to achieve that vision.
IPs serve as both a coordinating body and an action arm to reduce redundancies, build infrastructure and provider capacity for improved child/adolescent health, measure performance, develop and disseminate tools and the like.
More specifically, IPs:
- develop and test strategies, measures and tools;
- serve as a resource to practitioners for support and technical assistance;
- translate knowledge through engagement of national and local experts;
- disseminate findings in peer-reviewed journals and other publications;
- inform policy and
- serve as convener at the state and local levels.
More and more, states are developing Improvement Partnerships as an effective means to improve the delivery and quality of healthcare for children and their families.
Improvement Partnerships' Quality Improvement Initiatives
Improvement Partnerships are making real changes in the provision of care provided to children. Learn more about specific IP efforts.