The collaboration between CMS and hospitals nationwide has led to the public reporting of hospital quality performance information. This data is readily accessible through Care Compare on Medicare.gov and the Provider Data Catalog, ensuring that credible insights into hospital care are readily available. These compare websites are essential for anyone looking to understand and evaluate healthcare providers.
Hospital Care Compare is designed to present hospital performance data in a clear and standardized format. This compare website focuses primarily on:
- Acute Care Hospitals
- Acute Care Veteran’s Hospitals
- Department of Defense Hospitals
- Critical Access Hospitals
- Children’s Hospitals
It’s important to note that Care Compare includes data exclusively from Medicare-certified hospitals. A significant portion of these participants are short-term acute care facilities involved in the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program and the Hospital Outpatient Reporting (OQR) Program. These programs, established through legislative acts like the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, incentivize data submission and quality improvement in hospitals.
Care Compare on Medicare.gov provides a wealth of quality measures for those looking to compare websites and hospital performance:
- Process of Care Measures: These metrics assess whether healthcare providers adhere to recommended care guidelines and standards. By converting medical record data into performance percentages, compare websites like Care Compare enable consumers to see how hospitals stack up against state and national benchmarks.
- Outcome Measures: Rather than just tracking treatments, outcome measures reflect the actual results of patient care. This provides a deeper understanding of hospital effectiveness.
- Patient Experience of Care: The HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey, a national standardized tool, captures patient perspectives on their hospital stays. This crucial element of compare websites helps users gauge patient satisfaction.
- Efficiency and Coordination Measures: Beyond direct care, Care Compare also includes data on imaging efficiency, care transitions, emergency department throughput, care coordination, and patient safety. These factors are vital when using compare websites to evaluate overall hospital quality.
The Evolution of Hospital Compare Websites
The journey of public hospital quality reporting began with Hospital Compare, a website born from the partnership between Medicare and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA) in 2002. The HQA, a public-private collaboration, aimed to enhance healthcare decision-making through transparent quality data. This initiative marked the start of using compare websites to empower healthcare consumers.
Since its inception, hospital compare websites have continuously evolved:
- 2005: The initial “starter set” of ten process of care measures was introduced, covering critical areas like heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical care. This was a foundational step in making compare websites a reality for hospital evaluation.
- 2008: Patient experience became a key metric with the integration of HCAHPS survey data into Hospital Compare. Additionally, reporting on 30-day mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia began, adding crucial outcome-based information to compare websites.
- 2009: Outpatient facility data, including imaging efficiency and emergency department measures, expanded the scope of hospital compare websites, offering a broader view of hospital services.
- 2010: 30-day readmission measures for heart attack, heart failure, and pneumonia were added, providing insights into longer-term patient outcomes accessible via compare websites.
- 2011: Hospital Associated Infections (HAIs) data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHNS) started being reported, enhancing patient safety information on compare websites.
- 2012: Data from the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program was incorporated, further emphasizing the importance of reducing readmissions, a key factor when using compare websites for hospital assessment.
- 2013: The Hospital Value Based Purchasing program data was included, linking payment to quality and value, which is reflected in the data presented on compare websites.
- 2015: HCAHPS Star Ratings were introduced, simplifying patient experience data into an easily digestible format on compare websites.
- 2016: The Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating and data from Veterans Health Administration Hospitals were added, providing comprehensive ratings and expanding the range of hospitals on compare websites.
- 2017: Department of Defense hospital data was included, further broadening the scope of hospital compare websites to include military healthcare facilities.
- 2020: Hospital data was integrated with other care settings, creating a unified platform to compare hospitals alongside nursing homes and other providers. This marked the evolution towards more comprehensive healthcare compare websites. The original Hospital Compare website was retired in favor of this integrated approach.
- 2023: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals became eligible for Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings, ensuring consistent rating standards across different hospital systems on compare websites.
- 2023: The “Birthing-Friendly” hospital recognition was introduced, adding a specialized measure for maternal health to hospital compare websites, indicated by a new icon in search results.
Today, CMS provides access to over 150 hospital quality measures through Care Compare on Medicare.gov and the Provider Data Catalog. These platforms underscore the ongoing commitment to improving healthcare transparency and empowering users with the information they need through effective compare websites. As these resources continue to improve, they will undoubtedly play an even greater role in shaping informed healthcare decisions.
