Section 6102(c) of the Affordable Care Act required that all skilled nursing centers develop Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs. The QAPI requirements were included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) revised Requirements of Participation (RoP) for nursing centers, published in October 2016. The stated purpose and intent of the QAPI regulations is to “develop, implement, and maintain an effective comprehensive, data-driven QAPI program that focuses on systems of care, outcomes of care, and quality of life.
Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) is a data driven and proactive approach to quality improvement. It combines two approaches - Quality Assurance (QA) and Performance Improvement (PI). QA is a process used to ensure services are meeting quality standards and assuring care reaches a certain level. PI is a pro-active approach that continuously studies processes with the goal to prevent or decrease the likelihood of problems in care delivery.
All members at all levels of an organization, including residents, are involved in continuously identifying opportunities for improvement. Gaps in health care systems are addressed through planned interventions. The goal of QAPI activities is to improve the overall quality of life and quality of care and services delivered to nursing home residents. Additionally, although not regulatory required, Assisted Living Providers have found that they benefit from using QAPI framework to develop improvement programs.
AHCA/NCAL QAPI Resources
AHCA/NCAL has free tools, resources, webinars and programs to assist our members in developing and sustaining an effective and comprehensive QAPI program.