Claire Dawson
Hospital Compare was created through the combined efforts of Medicare and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). The HQA is a public-private collaboration that was established in 2002 to promote reporting on hospital quality of care. The platform displays hospital performance data in a consistent, unified manner to ensure the availability of credible information about the care delivered in the nation's hospitals. Hospital data is gathered from a myriad of sources, including individual hospitals and hospital associations, state and regional data organizations, health planning or health data organizations at the state level, departments of health, and federal agencies. The data is used to inform clinical care and help patients manage their conditions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Data sources | Individual hospitals and hospital associations, State and regional data organizations, health planning or health data organizations at the state level, departments of health, and Federal agencies |
| Data type | Patient demographics, procedures, admission source, discharge status, length of stay, patient experience, outcome measures, imaging efficiency patterns, care transitions, Emergency Department (ED) throughput efficiency, care coordination, and patient safety |
| Data collection methods | Administrative records, patient surveys, medical record information, claims, encounter, enrollment, and provider systems |
| Data validation | Standardized definitions and procedures to ensure fair comparisons and accurate representation of performance |
| Data accessibility | Hospital Compare website, HCUPnet interactive query tool, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) |
What You'll Learn
Patient surveys
One prominent example of patient surveys in hospitals is the HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey. HCAHPS is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients' perspectives on hospital care in the United States. It is designed to produce data that enables objective and meaningful comparisons between hospitals on topics that are important to patients and consumers. HCAHPS surveys cover various aspects of the patient experience, including doctor and nurse communication, staff responsiveness, medication communication, hospital environment, discharge information, food service, and overall patient satisfaction.
HCAHPS surveys are typically administered to a random sample of adult patients across different medical conditions between 48 hours and six weeks after their discharge from the hospital. Hospitals have the flexibility to choose from four survey modes: mail, telephone, mail with telephone follow-up, or interactive voice response (IVR). Hospitals are required to conduct these surveys on an ongoing basis, triggered by a patient's discharge after an inpatient stay.
The results of HCAHPS surveys are publicly available on the Care Compare website, where patients can easily review and compare the quality of hospitals. This transparency helps patients make more informed decisions when choosing a hospital. Additionally, hospitals can use the survey results to identify gaps in care, develop targeted improvements, and enhance their reputation and patient satisfaction.
Another notable patient survey is the CAHPS Hospital Survey, developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This survey aims to become the standard instrument for measuring patients' perspectives on inpatient hospital care. The CAHPS program offers a comprehensive suite of standardized surveys that solicit feedback from patients on various aspects of their healthcare journey, such as access to care and interpersonal aspects of care. CAHPS surveys are rigorously developed with stakeholder input, psychometric analysis, cognitive and field testing, ensuring reliability and validity.
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Administrative records
In the US, the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) is a family of healthcare databases and tools sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). HCUP databases contain data elements from inpatient and outpatient discharge records, bringing together data collection efforts from various sources, including state data organisations, hospital associations, private data organisations, and the federal government. HCUP includes the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the US, with all-payer, encounter-level information beginning in 1988.
Another important source of administrative data in the US is the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) database, which contains data from claims for services provided to beneficiaries admitted to Medicare-certified inpatient hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. These data sets primarily constitute an older section of the population, which tends to consume healthcare services more frequently. Report card sponsors can use MEDPAR data to calculate measures relating to hospital quality, conditions, and procedures.
Hospital Compare is a website created through the collaboration between Medicare and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), a public-private collaboration established in 2002 to promote reporting on hospital quality of care. Hospital Compare displays hospital performance data in a consistent, unified manner, ensuring the availability of credible information about the care delivered in the nation's hospitals. The website includes data from various types of hospitals, including Acute Care Hospitals, Acute Care Veteran's Hospitals, Department of Defense Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Children's Hospitals. Hospital Compare also features the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which measures patient experience of care.
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Clinical care data
Administrative data is generated by organizations in the course of providing and paying for care. It includes information such as the type of service, number of units (such as days of service), diagnosis and procedure codes, location of service, and billing amounts. While administrative data may have limited clinical detail, it is still considered reliable for assessing hospital quality. The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) are two databases that utilize administrative data to calculate hospital-specific results and benchmarks. MEDPAR, for example, contains data from claims for services provided to Medicare beneficiaries admitted to inpatient hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.
Patient surveys and self-reported information are another important source of clinical care data. These surveys capture patients' perspectives on the care, service, and treatment they received, as well as their perceptions of the outcomes. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, added to Hospital Compare in 2008, is a standardized instrument for measuring patient satisfaction. Additionally, anecdotal information shared informally through websites and online reviews provides valuable insights into individual patients' experiences, influencing the decisions and behaviors of other consumers.
Direct observations by staff during face-to-face interactions with patients also contribute to clinical care data. However, this method may introduce subjectivity and potential biases, especially when it comes to recording sensitive information such as race, ethnicity, and language needs. To improve the accuracy and consistency of data collection, staff training is essential. Initiatives like the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) aim to promote reporting on hospital quality of care and make it easier for consumers to make informed healthcare decisions.
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies has revolutionized clinical care data collection. These tools enable the processing of vast amounts of unstructured patient data, supporting clinical decision-making and improving efficiency. Accurate and comprehensive data collection leads to better patient outcomes and can even help prevent epidemics by identifying patterns in symptoms across different patients.
In summary, clinical care data is vital for hospitals to deliver optimal patient care. It is derived from administrative records, patient feedback, and direct observations, with a growing reliance on AI for efficient data management and analysis. By sharing data across channels and institutions, healthcare providers can make more informed decisions, ultimately improving the quality of care for their patients.
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Hospital associations
The AHA conducts an annual survey in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy, gathering data on health IT implementation within hospitals. This survey collects aggregate statistics rather than unit records on individual hospital stays, which differentiates it from other data systems like NHDS, NHIS, and Medicare. The AHA's survey methodology contributes to the consistency and accuracy of its data, making it a trusted source for healthcare research and decision-making.
Another notable hospital association is the American Hospital Directory (AHD), which offers data, statistics, and analytics on over 7,000 hospitals nationwide. The AHD sources its information from both public and private data, including Medicare claims data, hospital cost reports, and commercial licensors. It provides users with versatile search tools to explore hospital profiles, key characteristics, services, utilization statistics, accreditation status, and financial information. The AHD's custom datasets enable specialized reporting, competitor analysis, and matching hospital characteristics with key personnel.
By leveraging their data collection capabilities and analytical resources, hospital associations empower healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to make informed decisions. The availability of comprehensive and reliable data enables hospitals to identify areas for improvement, compare performance, and ultimately enhance the quality of care delivered to patients. Hospital associations, through their data-driven insights, play a pivotal role in shaping the healthcare landscape and improving healthcare outcomes.
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Federal agencies
Data Sources
Hospital Compare Initiative
The Hospital Compare initiative, created through the collaboration between Medicare and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), is a significant effort led by federal agencies. This initiative publicly reports data on hospital quality measures, allowing patients to access credible information about the care provided by different hospitals. The Hospital Compare website displays performance data from various hospital types, including acute care hospitals, veterans' hospitals, and children's hospitals. The data presented includes mortality rates, readmission rates, hospital-acquired infections, and patient safety indicators.
Quality Improvement and Standardization
Data Analysis and Benchmarking
Consumer Information and Choice
The data gathered by federal agencies empowers consumers by providing them with information to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Websites like the American Hospital Directory offer consumers access to hospital profiles, utilization statistics, financial information, and quality measures. Additionally, consumer websites and platforms often feature patient ratings, reviews, and anecdotal information, allowing individuals to share their personal experiences with hospitals and physicians.
In summary, federal agencies play a vital role in gathering, analyzing, and reporting data on hospital performance and quality. Their efforts contribute to transparency, quality improvement, and informed decision-making in the healthcare sector. By collaborating with various organizations and utilizing standardized methodologies, federal agencies help ensure that patients receive the highest standards of care.
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Frequently asked questions
Hospital Compare is a website that displays hospital performance data in a consistent, unified manner to ensure the availability of credible information about the care delivered in the nation’s hospitals. It was created through the efforts of Medicare and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA).
Hospital Compare includes data from Medicare-certified hospitals, such as Acute Care Hospitals, Acute Care Veteran’s Hospitals, Department of Defense Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, and Children’s Hospitals. It also includes data from the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which measures patient experience of care.
Hospital Compare gathers its data from a variety of sources, including individual hospitals, hospital associations, state and regional data organizations, health planning or health data organizations at the state level, departments of health, and federal agencies. The data is collected through surveys, administrative records, and discharge data.
Gathering data from multiple sources helps to ensure data validity and reliability. By collecting data in a careful, consistent way using standardized definitions and procedures, fair comparisons can be made among providers and health plans, and the results can represent actual performance.
The data is used to calculate hospital-specific results and benchmarks, which can be used to improve the quality of care and inform treatment decisions. Additionally, by making the data publicly available, consumers can make more informed health care decisions and support efforts to improve quality in hospitals.
