The Consumer Connection

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The Consumer Connection
Jennifer Sweeney, Director Americans for Quality
Health Care National Partnership for Women
Families Jsweeney_at_nationalpartnership.org 202-986-
2600 www.qualitycarenow.org www.nationalpartnershi
p.org
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• The National Partnership for
• Women Families is
• A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization
• Our Priorities
• Improve health care quality
• Promote fairness in the workplace
• Advance policies that help women and men meet the
  dual demands of work and family.

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• Poor Quality Care Is Rampant
• 50/50 chance of getting the right care
• Medical Errors
• Variations in care
• Disparities
• Lack of Patient Empowerment

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Despite the statistics on quality, loyalty
remains.
My doctor provides good care
How Do We Know?
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• Consumers are
• Focused on rising costs and lack of coverage.
• Uncertain how to navigate the current system.
• Unaware that health care quality varies or that
  the health care system is rife with waste and
  overuse, misuse and underuse.
• Circumspect when employer or health plan presents
  the quality argument.

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• Goal
• Recruit, educate, and mobilize consumer
• advocates to engage in efforts to
• improve health care quality and increase
• transparency.
• Communities
• Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit,
  Kansas City, Maine, Memphis, Minneapolis,
  Portland OR, Research Triangle NC, Seattle,
  Trenton NJ, Western Michigan, Western New York,
  Wisconsin.

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Challenge of Working with Consumer
AdvocatesImproving Access is the Focus
But, quality is inextricably linked to cost and
access.
What could we do with all the money we would
save if we improved quality of care?
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The Perfect Storm Advocates working to improve
access AND quality of care.
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Jennifer Sweeney, Director Jsweeney_at_nationalpartne
rship.org 202.986.2600