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Foundation of Medical Standards
The American College of Surgeons establishes the American College of Surgeons' Hospital Standardization Program, setting the groundwork for hospital accreditation. -
Flexner Report
The report advocated for closing substandard schools and consolidating resources, standardization of curricula, increased emphasis on science-based training, and the establishment of university-affiliated medical schools -
Discovery of Insulin
Before insulin, type 1 diabetes was a death sentence. The successful isolation and clinical use of insulin transformed diabetes into a manageable chronic condition -
Social Security Act
The Social Security Act is enacted, laying the foundation for federal involvement in healthcare -
World Health Organization (WHO) Founded
Marked a shift toward global cooperation in health, disease eradication, and epidemic response. -
Institutionalizing Accreditation
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals is founded, later becoming the Joint Commission (JCAHO), to set standards for hospital care -
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare and Medicaid are established under the Social Security Amendments, expanding federal oversight of healthcare services -
Quality Assurance
The federal government mandates Professional Standards Review Organizations (PSROs) to oversee the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. -
Professional Oversight
The Joint Commission adopts rigorous accreditation standards based on Avedis Donabedian's framework: structure, process, and outcomes -
Quality Assurance
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is founded, introducing the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) to measure health plan performance. -
AHRQ
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is established to support research on healthcare quality and safety -
Patient Safety
The Institute of Medicine publishes To Err Is Human, highlighting medical errors as a leading cause of death. -
IQR Program
The Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) program is established, expanding public reporting of hospital quality data. -
Safety and Quality
The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act is enacted, promoting voluntary reporting of patient safety events -
ACA
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is signed into law, introducing reforms aimed at improving healthcare quality and reducing costs. -
National Quality Strategy
The National Quality Strategy is launched to align national efforts to improve healthcare quality -
Use of AI
Widespread implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) to personalize patient care and predict health outcomes. -
Wearable Devices
Integration of real-time health data from wearable devices into electronic health records for continuous monitoring.