Current News
MQIC wishes one and all a Happy and Healthy 2012!
Women’s health is the topic for January.
Did you know women of childbearing age (ages 11-49) need an extra 400mcg of folic acid every day? Folic acid is found in vitamins and breakfast cereals, and while we all need folic acid in our diet, it is especially important that women planning to get pregnant, or who are pregnant, be sure to get the recommended amount to help prevent birth defects. It’s especially important in the first few weeks of pregnancy, so by recommending increasing the amount for women who desire to become pregnant in the future, a benefit will be a reduction in birth defects.
January is designated as Cervical Health Awareness Month by the U.S. Congress. Annually, in the U.S. there are approximately 12,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed, and about 4,000 people perish. Specific types of the Human Papillomavirus are what cause cervical cancer, and there are HPV vaccines available which block the types most often associated with this cancer. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has provided recommendations for both girls and boys to receive the 3-dose vaccine no earlier than age 9, and most preferably before they engage in sexual activity. Cervical cancer screening should be done every three years for women who are sexually active and have a cervix unless otherwise directed by their physician or care provider.
Reference these MQIC guidelines for further information on recommendations for folic acid and cervical health:
- MQIC 2011 Routine Preventive Services for Children and Adolescents (Ages 2-21)
- MQIC 2011 Adult Preventive Services (Ages 18-49)
- MQIC 2011 Routine Prenatal and Postnatal Care
The Michigan Department of Community Health has issued a fact information sheet, Facts about Cervical Cancer, which you may access here.
To sign-up to receive MQIC website updates, please Join Now.
For information about MQIC, you may Contact Us at anytime.
About Our Committee
The Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium will establish and implement a core set of clinical practice guidelines and performance measures with a focus on improvement for effecting positive health outcomes.
Medical Directors' Committee
- Develop common evidence-based clinical practice guidelines
- Provide direction and final decisions for MQIC
Measurement Workgroup
- Establish common definitions of populations among all health plans
- Establish common measurement protocols consistent with MQIC guidelines
- Report and trend community-based performance results for key measures related to MQIC clinical practice guidelines, providing data for benchmarking and improvement
Implementation Workgroup
- Research and provide tools and educational materials as supplemental resources for physicians and their staff that support implementation of the MQIC clinical practice guidelines
- Coordinate health plan and physician activities that complement MQIC quality improvement efforts
- Coordinate MQIC communications
Our Mission
The Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium will establish and implement a core set of clinical practice guidelines and performance measures. The interventions designed and implemented by each plan to improve consistent delivery of services will be at the discretion of individual plans, but guidelines, performance goals, measurement methodology, and performance reporting will be standardized.
Participants
MQIC membership is diverse and includes physicians, health plan administrators, researchers, quality improvement experts, and specialty societies. The consortium recognizes the need to collaborate with other entities and experts to successfully achieve the consortium's vision.
Organizations and Health Plans