The American Accreditation HealthCare Commission/URAC (URAC) is applying for a national conference support grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to produce a national conference, "Methods to Improve Data on PPO Performance to Meet Consumer Needs for Information." The goal of the conference is to examine measurement and reporting techniques that allow PPOs to report more informative quality data to consumers and employers. The conference will also assist in developing a national research agenda on PPO quality. This research design and methodology conference will be carried out jointly with the Consumer Coalition for Quality Health Care (Consumer Coalition). The conference will be structured to highlight new research and analysis on PPO data issues. The process will include development of a series of technical papers on PPO quality measurement issues, a consumer workshop on PPOs, and a national conference on measurement issues. Participants will discuss issues such as how to develop better performance measures for PPO systems. URAC and the Consumer Coalition have a joint interest in understanding and promoting accountability in managed care systems. Development of effective, valid and reliable performance measures for PPOs is essential to ensure that consumers and purchasers have information they need to make informed health care choices. The conference will build on URAC's expertise accrediting PPO networks, and its comprehensive analysis of PPO regulatory systems in The PPO Guide (April, 1999). The conference also supports the mission of the Consumer Coalition by assisting in development of valid standards for PPO accountability.