CMS: Hospital Compare update won't include certain readmission measures

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday it doesn't plan on reporting five readmission measures and one complication measure on its Hospital Compare website in July as intended, according to AHA News Now . CMS cites an issue relating to categorization of hospitals as better, worse and no different than national averages.

The measures affected include heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, hip and knee replacement, and hospital-wide readmissions, as well as complications from hip and knee replacements. 

"We plan to recalculate the hospital categories for these six measures, deliver new hospital specific reports, and conduct a new 30-day preview period," the agency said in a notice, AHA News Now reported. "Please note that not all hospitals may be affected by this issue and their categorization as 'better than,' 'worse than,' and 'no different than' the national average may not change in the updated report."

Selecting which measures appear on Hospital Compare involves agreement among CMS, hospital leaders and industry stakeholders, including The Joint Commission, the National Quality Forum and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, according to the website.

Last week CMS enhanced its Physician Compare website to add quality data derived from the Physician Quality Reporting System, FiercePracticeManagement reported.  The site, which has been up since 2010, has so far contained only basic information about doctors and group practices, such as their addresses, specialties and clinical training, much of which had been identified as being inaccurate.

To learn more:
- read the AHA News Now brief
- check out the Hospital Compare website

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