The individual healthcare experience is comprised of a series of procedures.  Each procedure begins with the first visit to a healthcare provider for a given condition, and ends with fulfillment of the condition's treatment.  An annual physical is relatively simple, and typically involves only one step.  More complicated conditions requiring surgery or other intensive treatments consist of multiple steps from beginning to end.  Whether the treatment requires just one step, or many, the entire process is considered one procedure.

At Quest, we identify medicine as evidence-based when it has shown there is a health benefit. Quality Quest has chosen to follow guidelines established by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI). Since its start in 1993, ICSI has worked in Minnesota to improve patient care by promoting evidence-based medicine. ICSI is a non-profit organization that’s comprised of 57 medical groups and sponsored by six Minnesota and Wisconsin health plans. A team of medical experts developed best-practice guidelines for many medical conditions based on what was known about their value. ICSI categorizes guidelines on two levels, best evidence and good evidence, and includes a third level of services that have incomplete evidence. These guidelines are updated yearly based on new practices and information.

Patients and families have the potential to be one of the most powerful forces driving improvement in our healthcare system. Quality Quest for Health of Illinois is working to make sure people have information to help them get excellent healthcare. The healthcare they need and deserve. We're on a quest to improve healthcare and you can help.

So what exactly is this new “Patient Centered Medical Home” (PCMH) and why has it become  the new buzzword for healthcare reform? Matter of fact, it is mentioned at least 15 times in the recent healthcare reform legislation.  Recognizing that having access to primary care is the key to improving healthcare outcomes, everyone from payers, purchasers, physicians and patients are hoping that the medical home will improve quality and drive down healthcare costs.

At Quality Quest, we are committed to advancing a high-quality, patient-centered, and cost-effective healthcare system.  We believe it is critical for community members to work together on shared health-related priorities.  We also believe it is important to engage consumers to take more responsibility for their own health and work as partners with their healthcare providers.