CMS May Mimic Movie Critics With Star Ratings for Hospital Compare

Medicare may adopt a star system for its Hospital Compare website to make the ratings more consumer-friendly, according to a report from Kaiser Health News.

Hospital Compare publishes a range of metrics on hospitals, including rates for mortality, infection, CT scan utilization and a survey score for patient experience. In its recent proposed rules, CMS called for ideas on how to better display information on the website to make it more user-friendly. The agency noted one option of "aggregating measures in a graphical display, such as star ratings."

The option isn't sitting well with some, including the Association of American Medical Colleges, which said a star system "may make inappropriate distinctions for hospitals whose performance is not statistically different" and could also exaggerate minor performance differences. Other hospital leaders have said a graphic display would need to be based on more sophisticated data than what is currently available.

More Articles on Hospital Compare:

Gallup: HCAHPS Results Show Healthier Patients Rate Hospitals Higher
CMS Will Not Report 5 Readmission Measures on Hospital Compare in July
CMS Redesigns Physician Compare Website

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars