Hospital quality measurement and reporting have made significant strides over the past 20 years, and yet, it may still be difficult for consumers to interpret and use the information. Employers and other purchasers/payers looking for high-value health services can play a key role in improving and promoting use of hospital quality performance indicators.
Useful background information on quality reporting is provided on these aspects:
- Growth of quality measurement and reporting
- Types of quality measures
- Sources of quality data
- Challenges to meaningful measurement
- Measure maintenance and certification
- Health information technology and quality measurement
Factors employers/purchasers should address in an active quality-based purchasing strategy include:
- Understanding the health plan member/enrollee base
- Making sense of quality reports
- Assessing market and provider characteristics
- Communicating quality information to both plan members and providers
Overall quality reporting takeaways for purchaser consideration are summarized.
Source: Carrier E and Cross DA. Hospital quality reporting: separating the signal from the noise. National Institute for Health Care Reform Policy Analysis, no. 11, Apr. 2013. http://www.nihcr.org/index.php?download=1tlcfl252
Posted by AHA Resource Center (312) 422-2050, rc@aha.org
Filed under: Benchmarking, Patient care, Patient safety, Posted by Diana Culbertson | Tagged: hospital quality indicators, hospital quality performance, hospital ratings |
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