| | MEDICARE CONSUMERS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS |
| |  Some quality of care complaints can be taken care of with mediation. In mediation you talk about your complaint with your doctor or healthcare facility. A neutral third party (a mediator) leads the meeting. Mediation helps you and your doctor or healthcare facility work together to solve your problem. Mediation often improves relationships. Not all cases can use mediation. Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc., (HQSI) will tell you whether your case meets the criteria for mediation. Mediation often works for cases that involve poor communication. Mediation is free and voluntary. It does not affect your Medicare benefits. Both you and the healthcare provider must agree to be part of the mediation. If either party declines to participate, mediation is not an option. If both parties agree, a meeting is scheduled. This is usually a face-to-face meeting. However, it can be conducted over the phone. Mediation sessions last from two to four hours and everyone present will know the results. All records are confidential. There are two other ways to solve a problem: Facilitated Resolution It is similar to mediation, however all communication is done by phone or mail. A facilitator is also used. You would describe what happened to the facilitator. With your permission, the facilitator will contact the healthcare provider to share the information. The facilitator will ask the healthcare provider to respond to your complaint with a plan on how to address your concern. You will get a follow-up call and letter from HQSI summarizing any actions that will take place as a result of your complaint. External Resolution This is also a process called “self resolution.” An HQSI facilitator schedules the meeting with you and the healthcare provider. However, the facilitator does not attend the meeting. HQSI will follow up with you on a phone call to confirm that the meeting has taken place. | |
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(c) 2003-2009 Healthcare Quality Strategies, Inc. Last updated 3/6/09 11:13 AM
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