CMS has put out a request for proposals to develop Hospital Improvement and Innovation Networks (HIINs) to improve patient safety and reduce hospital readmissions.
The goal is to reduce overall patient harm by 20 percent and 30-day readmissions by 12 percent from a 2014 baseline.
Part of the Quality Improvement Organization initiative, HIINs will further work begun by the Hospital Engagement Networks under the Partnership for Patients initiative.
Progress has been made. A December 2015 report by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that preventable adverse events had fallen 39 percent from 2010, which meant 2.1 million fewer patients harmed, 87,000 deaths prevented and about $20 billion saved over the four-year period.
The networks will use the experience of hospital associations, health systems and others with experience in hospital-quality improvement to help spread evidence-based best practices.
