Sponsor

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Mode of Administration

The data in the Hospital Compare database are obtained from two sources: 1) Hospital identification and characteristics are derived from CMS's Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting (OSCAR) database; a summary of the latest survey results are used. 2) Clinical quality measure data are extracted from the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) Program Clinical Warehouse. Refer to the QIO entry in this document for further information.

Survey Sample Design

Data in the Hospital Compare are provided voluntarily by short-term acute care hospitals and rural small, remote "critical access" hospitals. The facilities agree to report on an initial set of 10 quality performance measures and to have their data available to the public. The short-term acute care facilities receive an incentive payment for participating. Beginning with discharges in the second quarter of 2004, hospitals may elect to submit data on an additional 7 measures.

Primary Survey Content

The hospital compare contains data about 17 quality measures in 3 clinical areas: heart attack (AMI), heart failure, and pneumonia. Data are summarized at the hospital-level. State-level estimates are also calculated.

Population Targeted

Discharges from short-term acute care hospitals and rural small, remote "critical access" hospitals.

Demographic Data

None. Only hospital-level data are presented.

Years Collected

January-June, 2004.

Schedule

Annual, updated quarterly.

Geographic Estimates

National, State. Some States may not have enough reporting facilities to calculate reliable measure estimates.

Notes

The State average presented in the tables is calculated by CMS and provided as part of the Hospital Compare dataset.

Contact Information

Agency homepage: http://www.cms.gov.

Data system homepage: http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/Hospital/Home2.asp.