CMS will not update Hospital Compare Star Ratings Data in October 2017

By Mountain-Pacific

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will not update the data from the October Star Ratings Preview Reports on Hospital Compare so it can continue examining potential changes to the Star Rating methodology. As part of this process, CMS is seeking feedback from a multi-disciplinary technical expert panel and a provider leadership workgroup.

CMS updates the Hospital Compare website quarterly, though not all data are updated each quarter. In October 2017, CMS will update data for the following measures:

• Timely and effective care – heart attack, emergency department throughput, immunization for influenza, stroke care, blood clot prevention and treatment, pregnancy and delivery care
• Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) – central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI); catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI); surgical site infections from colon surgery (SSI Colon); surgical site infections from abdominal hysterectomy (SSI Hysterectomy); methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood laboratory-identified events (bloodstream infections); Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections
• Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey
• Serious complications composite (PSI 90) and death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications (PSI 4) (Data for additional Patient Safety Indicators updated on data.medicare.gov.)
• Prospective Payment System (PPS)-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting (PCHQR) Program and the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQUIP®)

Hospitals should know:

• CMS will not publish the data from the October Star Ratings Preview Reports on Hospital Compare.
• CMS will post the next SAS Pack with the December 2017 Hospital Compare release.
• Star Ratings released in December 2016 will remain on Hospital Compare until the next update.

Please submit questions related to Star Ratings to cmsstarratings@lantanagroup.com.

Hospital Compare reports information on approximately 100 quality measures for more than 4,000 hospitals nationwide, including more than 130 Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Centers. Hospital Compare provides an Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating so consumers can easily compare hospitals and interpret complex quality information. Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings summarize data from existing measures on Hospital Compare for each hospital. With data.medicare.gov, users can explore and download hospital data, as well as data on ambulatory surgical centers, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and some cancer hospitals.

For more CMS news, visit cms.gov/newsroom. Sign up for CMS news via email. Follow CMS on Twitter @CMSgov.

If you have any questions or need assistance use the “Leave a Reply” section below, or email Ericka Alm directly with your questions or comments.