QUALITY PROFILES is the result of a joint effort by two organizations that share a deep and profound interest in promoting quality in managed care - the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and Pfizer, Inc. Pfizer has sponsored NCQA's effort to offer managed care organizations, and other interested health care professionals, models of the successful pursuit of clinical and service excellence.

Since its inception, NCQA has been leading the nation's efforts to evaluate and report on quality in managed care, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of care delivered to people everywhere. The NCQA Accreditation program has greatly accelerated efforts in the industry to systematically improve health care delivery. Through that program, NCQA has developed an extensive database summarizing what managed care organizations are currently doing to affect QI. Pfizer is equally committed to quality patient care, and has worked with managed care organizations to help them in their efforts to improve the delivery of quality health care to their members.

The database NCQA has developed through its review of health plan quality improvement activities (QIAs) represents a unique assets, which can be mined productively to share best practices in the industry.