|
OOSS conducts annual benchmarking, industry and topical studies to provide you with powerful information and tools to sustain continuous improvement in facility performance, to navigate changes in the health care environment and to stay competitive within the industry. Generally available to OOSS members only, proprietary OOSS studies provide you with fact-based guidance and insight to address your efficiency and effectiveness and your perspective on broad health care, marketplace and topical issues. Occasionally studies are opened to non-members to expand the base of informative data and to share the content benefits of OOSS membership.
2009 OOSS Benchmark Initiative Survey for Ophthalmic ASCs
The 2009 Benchmark Initiative Survey is now available to all OOSS-member facilities and to non-member facilities that participated in the Progressive Action Survey completed earlier this year. If you have not received your invitation to participate or if you have questions about the 2009 survey, contact Kent Jackson, PhD, Director of Member Research and Development at kjackson@ooss.org or by calling 303.910.7314.
Why should I participate?
Who can participate?
What is the deadline to participate?
What year of data should I submit?
Did you have to participate in 2008 to participate in 2009?
Is my data secured?
How long does it take to collect the data? When will I see a report?
SURVEY COMPLETION AND PREPARATION
Why should I participate?
Benchmarking is a powerful tool for initiating and sustaining continuous improvement. The OOSS Benchmarking Initiative began in 2007 with pilot design and testing of a benchmarking survey exclusively for the ophthalmic ASC industry. A total of 62 OOSS member facilities representing 29 states participated. In 2008 a substantially revised survey involved 89 facilities and provided the basis for the redesigned survey for 2009. This year’s survey includes two substantial changes. First, the Business Measures are fully aligned with the Allergan Access® Historical ASC Benchmarking Report now available online to OOSS members. Secondly, Clinical Measures have been refined to address five key areas identified by the National Quality Forum in September of 2007, and the AAAHC Quality Management and Improvement standards as presented in the 09 Accreditation Handbook for Ambulatory Health Care. As a participant, you realize the benefits of a comprehensive and customized survey approach to external benchmarking. Survey results coupled with active use of historical benchmarking tools guide development of your ASC business performance and quality improvement over time and support your accreditation endeavors. As you benefit directly, you also contribute to the development of a valid and reliable benchmarking methodology for the entire ophthalmic ASC industry.
Who can participate?
Any ophthalmic ASC surgery center is allowed to participate in the 2009 Benchmarking Initiative so long as they are either current members of OOSS or have participated in the 2009 OOSS Progressive Action Survey.
What is the deadline to participate?
The survey is open for three months. To enter data for your 2008 annual performance, you must respond on or before August 31, 2009. You can begin entering data as soon as your invitation and unique link arrive by email.
What year of data should I submit?
Always provide data for the previous full calendar year only. For the 2009 survey, enter data for your 2008 annual performance - January 1, 2008 through December 31, 2008.
Did you have to participate in 2008 to participate in 2009?
No, you can participate each year without regard to previous participation. Once you begin benchmarking however, you are strongly encouraged to participate each year to be able to compare your results and performance annually.
Is my data secured?
We have taken extra precautions including facility-specific survey access to protect your data. Group data will be reported in the aggregate to protect the confidentiality of individual facilities. When using filters or segments in the reporting of group results, we will only show data when we have 10 or more facilities/responses that meet the criteria. You or your designated person will be the only recipient of the final report which will include your individual facility data presented in relationship to group data.
DATA COLLECTION AND RESULTS
How long does it take to collect the data? When will I see a report?
The survey will be open for data collection through August 31, 2009. Custom reports for each facility will be created and should be distributed to OOSS members within two months of the close of the survey to allow for analysis and report preparation.
SURVEY COMPLETION AND PREPARATION
The annual benchmark survey is completed online. No provisions are made for fax or hard copy completion.
To reduce the time needed to complete the survey, please use this Survey Worksheet to prepare your responses. Keep the worksheet as a record of your responses to compare with the final report and to assist with historical tracking. Please answer all questions based on year-end 2008 information. Following are the questions in the order you will see them online. We have added Q&A information for those items that have generated questions in the past.
CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT
Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society
(OOSS)
Measures For Success Confidentiality Procedures
OOSS is fully committed to maintaining the confidentiality of people involved in its studies. To this end the Society has instituted policies to maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the study participants and any personal information they may provide. To further assure the confidentiality of study subjects, the Society has developed a comprehensive set of policies to protect the confidentiality of information provided by participants in Measures For Success studies.
Who has access to the information from this study?
After member information is released from OOSS to its survey firm, only staff directly involved with the studies has access to this information. All staff that has access to the data is required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Furthermore, under no circumstances for any purpose will this information be shared with others, with the only exception of the survey research firm that is assisting in conducting the study.
What is a confidentiality agreement?
All employees involved with the collection and analysis of data are made aware of the individual responsibility to protect the privacy of individuals involved with the study. Employees sign the agreement to maintain the privacy of those involved in the study. Employees have then agreed to the specific privacy and confidentiality issues involved with the research.
What policies are in place for assuring the secure storage and transit of data? (the Data Protection Plan)
At all times, electronic data (information stored on computer drives or disks) remain in password-protected files, and paper files, including completed questionnaires, are stored in locked filing cabinets. Respondent contact information and survey data will be stored in separate locations and/or computer files whenever possible. To further protect the identity of the respondent, each participating person will be assigned a unique case identification number, which will be used whenever possible instead of the person's name and associated organization.
What happens if someone no longer wants to be part of the study?
If a person asks to stop participating in the study or never be contacted again, then they are marked as refused and their name and contact information are removed from the study's database.
What will happen to the completed questionnaires?
If you prefer to submit your information by the use of a hard-copy questionnaire instead of electronically, the information will first be entered into a computer; the paper copy will be locked in file cabinet, stored for a minimum of three years after the completion of the study, and then destroyed by shredding and incineration. The electronic data will remain in password-protected computer files.
What if I'm interested in what you’re studying and want to "opt-in"?
At anytime you may express your interest. Simply contact us. We will then make product offerings that fit your particular interest available to you via email or your preferred way of contact. You have the ability to opt-out at anytime. We will not share your identifying information with any other organization.
Aggregate statistical summaries of the data and analyses (frequency tabulations, means, variances, and correlation coefficients) are not considered confidential or restricted data. Such information may be freely published by the Investigator and may be used for ongoing research programs.
What if I have additional questions?
Kent Jackson, PhD
Director of Research, Training and Strategic Planning
Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society
P: 720-570-2094
OOSS Progressive Action Study – 2009
Gauging the Pulse and Focus of the Ophthalmic ASC Industry
The purpose of this study is to examine how those interested and involved in OASCs perceive the relative health of their organizations and how they are focusing their efforts and professional affiliations to optimize success in today’s marketplace. The following three questions were addressed in the survey.
• How do ophthalmic ASC professionals view their local economic environments and their future viability?
• What are ophthalmic ASCs anticipating in terms of overall business growth, changes in ownership, mix of procedures performed and facility investments?
• To what professional associations and affiliations do ophthalmic ASC turn and for what specific features and benefits of membership?
Information gathered through the OOSS Progressive Action Survey conducted in the spring of 2009 provides useful insights in response to each of these questions. The comparative information as summarized here should be of value to participating OASCs and OOSS member facilities in their strategic planning.
|
OOSS Adovacy Center
