National Addiction Treatment Quality Committee will provide guidance and thought leadership to
drive quality of addiction treatment across the United States
Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States, has announced the formation of the National Addiction Treatment Quality Committee (NATQC). The NATQC is comprised of a diverse group of industry experts convened by Shatterproof, representing federal and state agencies, addiction treatment providers, health systems, consumer advocacy groups, academic institutions, healthcare payers and purchasers, and individuals with lived experience of addiction.
This group is charged with providing guidance and recommendations on quality measures and enhancements to Shatterproof’s Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment and Standards (ATLAS®) platform, which aims to empower the public to find high-quality treatment services and ultimately drive the delivery of quality addiction treatment nationally. In addition, the NATQC will further existing quality work in the addiction treatment space to ensure quality measures reflect the contemporary needs and landscape of addiction treatment in the U.S. Work by the NATQC builds on the existing efforts of state-based ATLAS advisory committees and the Shatterproof Substance Use Disorder Treatment Task Force.
ATLAS aims to advance the quality of addiction treatment nationally via the market forces of consumer choice, payer decision-making, and state support, in order to reward high-quality care and support facilities in quality improvement efforts. NATQC members bring with them a variety of expertise that will help ensure ATLAS fulfills these aims.
“The guiding principles of the committee include a focus on advancing access, health equity, and evidence-based care. Shatterproof works to ensure that the most appropriate and useful quality measures are included in ATLAS, with the goal of setting a national standard for addiction treatment quality,” said Gary Mendell, CEO, Shatterproof. “The insight of the committee will be invaluable in driving transformation of the treatment system while ensuring that we all are unified on the goal to standardize care and improve access to quality treatment.”
The committee members will:
- Act as stewards of feedback to inform enhancements to the ATLAS measurement approach, data sources, data collection processes, and website displays.
- Provide input on key workgroup areas, based on subject-matter expertise.
- Promote and support strategies to ensure the ongoing success of ATLAS as it expands its reach to become a key resource for locating care across the country.
- Offer guidance on how ATLAS can continue to advance access to care and health equity and drive the delivery of evidence-based care.
Shatterproof seeks additional individuals to contribute to the committee and working groups. Please contact ATLAS@Shatterproof.org for more information.
Members will join a variety of workgroups which include:
- Claims-based Measures Workgroup. This workgroup will provide feedback and recommendations related to including health plan claims-based measures as a key data source. Participants will share information related to the impact/potential impact of the measures on providers, such as how best to ensure “apples-to-apples” comparison and where risk adjustment may be necessary.
- Patient Journey Workgroup. This workgroup will provide feedback on the patient journey through ATLAS, offer suggestions on how to streamline, additional functionality to build into the search and facility profiles, and suggestions related to the patient experience feedback section of ATLAS.
- Provider Data and Quality Reporting Workgroup. This workgroup will provide feedback on the provider reporting process, professional portals and alignment with existing quality measurement and reporting efforts.
- Telehealth and Telemedicine Workgroup. This workgroup will focus on examining how well existing quality measures are structured to align with what is currently happening in the telemedicine space, how telemedicine can help address access issues within the treatment system, and how to add telehealth providers to ATLAS in an equitable way.
Participating Organizations to date include:
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ)
- American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
- U.S. Veterans
- Leapfrog
- Community Catalyst
- American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP)
- Stanford University
- National Council for Mental Wellbeing
- Harvard University Medical School
- Optimal Workplace & Environmental Wellness Corporation
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports
- Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, Duke University
- Technical Assistance Collaborative
- America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
- Faces and Voice of Recovery
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
- National Institute for Drug Abuse/National Institute of Health
- Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH)
About Shatterproof:
Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities. To learn more visit www.Shatterproof.org
