A study, published in JAMA Surgery, compared advanced laparoscopic abdominal surgery outcomes in hospitals with high overall star ratings from CMS and hospitals with low overall star ratings.
Researchers studied an administrative database, comprised of academic centers and their affiliate hospitals from Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2015. They compared outcomes of 72,662 advanced laparoscopic abdominal operations in hospitals with four or five stars in the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating program and hospitals with one or two stars.
Around 38,299 procedures were performed in high-star hospitals and 34,363 operations in low-star hospitals.
The research team included patients who underwent various advanced laparoscopic abdominal surgeries, including bariatric surgery, colorectal surgery and hiatal hernia surgery.
The study shows high-star hospitals had fewer intensive care unit admissions as compared to low-star hospitals — 2.6 percent in the former versus 5 percent in the latter. Additionally, the mean cost of the procedures at high-star hospitals was lower ($7,866) than at low-star hospitals ($8,708).
However, there was no significant difference in advanced laparoscopic abdominal surgery mortality between high-star and low-star hospitals. There was no significant difference in serious morbidity between high-star and low-star hospitals for bariatric or hiatal hernia surgery. Serious morbidity for colorectal surgery, on the other hand, was lower at high-star hospitals.
"High-star hospitals may represent hospitals with improved resource use and cost," the study authors concluded.