Nursing Quality Forum (NQF)
NQF operates under a three-part mission to improve the quality of American healthcare by:
building consensus on national priorities and goals for performance improvement and working in partnership to achieve them; endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and
promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs. (www.qualityforum.org, 2012)
In 2012 NQF endorsed 12 measures that assess coordination of care with a focus on communication. They remind us that poor communication and lack of coordination of care result in medical errors, readmission and increased ER visits. They believe this is an essential part of improving patient care and increasing patient safety.
http://www.qualityforum.org/News_And_Resources/Press_Releases/2012/NQF_Endorses_Care_Coordination_Measures.aspx