Although the latest additions to a patient-friendly hospital quality website still have some kinks to be worked out, local health care leaders say the site is a useful tool for patients.
The site, compiled by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “clearly is the most reliable online quality resource,” said Dr. Cy Huffman, chief medical officer at Erlanger hospital.
Hospitals for years have been required to report data in areas such as heart attack, heart failure and pneumonia rates for in-patients, as well as patient survey data. But this month, CMS made new data public on its “Hospital Compare” website, including rates of outpatient MRIs for low back pain and ratios that show how often outpatients get two CT scans when only one might be necessary.
PDF: Readmission statsHOW HOSPITALS COMPAREAverage times to perform electrocardiograms on outpatients reporting chest pains:Erlanger hospital: 12 minutes*Memorial Hospital: 4 minutes Parkridge Medical Center: 7 minutes Hamilton Medical Center: 3 minutes Hutcheson Medical Center: 10 minutesSource: CMS Hospital Compare website* Number of patients is too small to be sure of hospital’s performance level.
Hospital leaders said the newer data has some weaknesses. Much of it is based purely on insurance claims data and doesn’t take into account a patient’s medical record. That means measures to analyze use of medical imaging can’t reflect whether a patient genuinely needs more than one CT scan.