Table 2.

Examples of National Efforts to Translate Research into Practice and Policy^*

Area	Description	Examples
Educational and Clinical Efforts	Clinical practice guidelines and clinical pathways through national organizations	Clinical guidelines for falls, delirium, incontinence, pressure ulcers AGS Falls Practice Guidelines
	Health care coalitions of national and local organizations	Falls free coalition (partnering of NCOA and others)
	Provider education through certifying organizations	Vulnerable Elderly Practice Improvement Modules through ABIM
	Web-based educational and clinical programs	Falls prevention website, Hospital Elder Life Program website
	Outreach to seniors	AARP, local and regional efforts
Quality Improvement Approaches	ACOVE quality indicators for geriatric conditions	Quality indicators for assessing care of vulnerable elders have been developed for 22 key conditions, including dementia, depression, falls, hospital care, incontinence, pressure ulcers.
	AHRQ National Quality Measures Clearinghouse	Quality measures for multiple conditions, including delirium, pressure ulcers, urinary incontinence
	NCQA	Posts “report cards” and benchmark quality data for health plans, hospitals, and physicians
	MedPAC—organization which advises congress about Medicare program and policies	Reports on Medicare quality of care yearly Falls and wounds as quality improvement targets for home care
	Patient safety initiatives	Regional initiatives, local hospitals
Accreditation Standards	JCAHO	Requires evidence of fall prevention program in many clinical settings
Reimbursement and Payment Policies	Establish new diagnosis codes for geriatric syndromes to facilitate reimbursement	Fall-specific ICD (V-code 15.88)
	CMS Pay for Performance	CMS requested AMA Physician Consortium to examine performance improvement measures for falls
Legislative Policies	National and local legislative efforts to increase patient safety for older persons	Fall initiatives involving state legislature, state health departments, social services

^*AGS=American Geriatrics Society; NCOA=National Council on Aging; ABIM=American Board of Internal Medicine; AARP=American Association for Retired Persons; ACOVE=Acute Care for Vulnerable Elders; AHRQ=Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; NCQA=National Committee for Quality Assurance; MedPAC=Medicare Payment Advisory Commission; JCAHO=Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; ICD=International Classification of Diseases; CMS=Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; AMA=American Medical Association