In a just-released survey of healthcare experts, nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) describe the QIO program as useful in improving quality, up slightly from findings in 2014. Survey participants included healthcare providers and beneficiary advocates as well as government representatives and thought leaders drawn from health quality groups across the U.S. Conducted by Virginia-based Sage Communications on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the survey analyzed responses from 302 individuals to a variety of questions meant to determine QIO brand effectiveness. Individuals most likely to respond positively to questions about QIO impact included representatives of government agencies and hospitals, as well as experts who work directly with QIOs. More than half of respondents in 2015 (53%), say they’re aware of major changes in the QIO program—far more than the percentage of experts who were aware of major changes in 2014 (36%). These changes include the recent separation of QIOs that work on quality improvement, from other QIOs that focus on case review of appeals lodged by Medicare beneficiaries and families. The positive attributes most closely associated with QIOs in the 2015 survey included being trustworthy, credible, patient-centered and collaborative. For more information on the survey, contact Sage Communications at http://sagemarcomm.com.