URAC

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 Q1. We don't meet all the criteria.  Should we still submit an entry?
 
A:  If your program falls within one of the three topic areas, you should submit an entry.  Here are three reasons why:

• URAC is not looking for entries that meet all the criteria.  Rather, the Best Practices Awards judges will compare entries and use the criteria for judging all of the entries.  After independent scoring and discussion, the judges will select the best entries.  URAC is not seeking “perfect” programs, but “best” programs.  From experience, we fully expect the quality of entries to improve year after year, which is a positive for the U.S. health care system.
• Your entry will benefit from the review of distinguished judges.  The strengths and weaknesses of your entry will be summarized and returned to you to keep.  In and of itself, the awards process is a valuable learning experience.
• The judges will select 15 entries as Best Practices Awards Winners (one for each of the three topics, and three for each of the four organizations types). However, the judges also reserve the right to award “honorable mentions” for promising innovations.  Depending on the judges’ recommendation, URAC may consider presenting an additional award to the best of the honorable mention entries that would display their programs in a poster form at the March conference.

Q2. What is the difference between a “program process metric” and a “targeted outcome metric?” Are they both measurements of the practice? 
 
A:  Both are measurements, but they measure different things.  A program process metric is a measure of the intervention itself—e.g., number of hits on a web site or number of surveys returned, or number of referrals to a program.  A program outcome metric is a measure of what is supposed to result from the intervention—e.g., lower BMI measurements, cost reductions, number of enrollees who received a pneumonia shot.  The program process measure is a measure of the cause (the independent variable) and the program outcome metric is a measure of the effect (the dependent variable).

Q3.  What if we just got started but don't have a process metric or an outcome metric, is there any value in submitting an entry? 
 
A.  Yes there is still value in submitting an entry.  As this is the first year of the Best Practices Award Program, we are unsure how many entrants will share your situation.  It is worthwhile to submit an entry because you will benefit from the judges’ review.  You may also be eligible for an “honorable mention” award for innovation.

Q4. On the methodology criteria, aren't there a lot of things that could independently affect our targeted outcome metric? How can we be expected to take all of these things into account?
 
A.  There could be many factors affecting your outcome metrics (e.g., if immunization rate increase is your goal, other health plan efforts in your areas could be influencing population outcomes as well).  The first goal of the question is to acknowledge that other factors exist and the second is to determine the extent to which they may affect your outcomes (or to take them into account when you link your practice to the outcomes).  Simply by discussing these influences, your entry will likely score better on this criterion, as compared to entries which do not discuss these influences at all.