Group issues new care quality information for Virginia hospitals

Virginia Health Information (VHI), a reporting firm that contracts with the state Department of Health, has issued a list of 20 healthcare quality measures to help patients compare hospitals. To determine the scores, VHI assessed and compared Virginia hospitals' patient discharge information. Users can compare hospitals' quality ratings for specific measures or by multiple measures for up to five hospitals. Data is available for both 2012 and 2013 thus far, covering mortality rates for conditions such as stroke and pneumonia in addition to measures such as readmissions and patient safety. VHI also compiled data on inpatient utilization and avoidable stays and an option to search major diagnosis conditions, diagnosis related groups, conditions, procedures or all of the above by county. Report