Healthgrades' American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2013 report reveals significant performance improvement across nearly 5,000 hospitals.
The report includes hospital data from 2005 to 2011 and supplemental data for 30 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis showed an overall improvement in hospital quality, particularly in mortality and complication rates. However, hospital quality seems to vary widely.
Key findings from the report include the following:
• Over the study period, there was a 34.1 percent improvement in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortalities, 21.6 percent improvement in sepsis mortalities, 27.7 percent improvement for heart attack mortalities and 18.3 percent improvement for pneumonia mortalities.
• At the same time, there was a 3.5 percent increase in risk-adjusted mortality for GI surgeries and procedures.
• California demonstrated some of the lowest mortality rates for heart attacks and sepsis, and Delaware had some of the lowest complication rates for total knee replacements and hip fractures.
• However, Alabama showed high mortality rates for heart attacks and pneumonia, while Pennsylvania showed high complication rates for total knee replacements and gallbladder surgery.
• Quality also varied within states. For example, 18 hospitals located in Chicago ranged in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality for heart attack, from 2.1 percent to 23.9 percent.
For this report, Healthgrades relied on Medicare data on approximately 40 million patients at 4,500 acute-care hospitals.
The report includes hospital data from 2005 to 2011 and supplemental data for 30 states and the District of Columbia. The analysis showed an overall improvement in hospital quality, particularly in mortality and complication rates. However, hospital quality seems to vary widely.
Key findings from the report include the following:
• Over the study period, there was a 34.1 percent improvement in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortalities, 21.6 percent improvement in sepsis mortalities, 27.7 percent improvement for heart attack mortalities and 18.3 percent improvement for pneumonia mortalities.
• At the same time, there was a 3.5 percent increase in risk-adjusted mortality for GI surgeries and procedures.
• California demonstrated some of the lowest mortality rates for heart attacks and sepsis, and Delaware had some of the lowest complication rates for total knee replacements and hip fractures.
• However, Alabama showed high mortality rates for heart attacks and pneumonia, while Pennsylvania showed high complication rates for total knee replacements and gallbladder surgery.
• Quality also varied within states. For example, 18 hospitals located in Chicago ranged in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality for heart attack, from 2.1 percent to 23.9 percent.
For this report, Healthgrades relied on Medicare data on approximately 40 million patients at 4,500 acute-care hospitals.
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