Some Calif. hospitals at odds with rating system

A year ago, a coalition that included hospitals, health plans, physicians and consumer advocates launched a site designed to help consumers judge the quality of care at California hospitals. The site, CalHospitalCompare.org, measures hospitals on a range of clinical and patient satisfaction measures. However, as the site expands, some hospitals are beginning to back off, refusing to supply information on new categories like the frequency of respirator complications and ICU mortality. Meanwhile, about 35 of the 250 hospitals targeted by the coalition have chosen not to participate in the project, citing, among other reasons, the cost of collecting the data. That being said, other hospitals are using the data as a spur to create quality improvement programs in areas where they're weak. 

Actually, I'd argue that having all but 35 hospitals participate is a pretty good track record for the site, given the complex issues involved in public reporting. But report card efforts, ultimately, don't make a lot of sense unless virtually all providers participate--so clearly, this one has a ways to go.

To learn more about the project:
- read this Venture County Star piece

Related Articles:
Calif. groups release hospital report card. Report
Colorado hospitals to launch report card effort. Report
A failing grade for report cards? Report
MN quality ratings find wide performance gaps. Report
OH hospitals debate quality ratings. Report
Maryland unveils hospital guide. Report