The Courier-Journal.com: The state of Kentucky has launched a Web site where consumers can find data about the quality of care at Kentucky hospitals. The site, healthdata.chfs.ky.gov, also provides links to other hospital-comparison sites, including the Kentucky Hospital Association’s listing of median prices at hospitals for various procedures.
Read full news item: The Courier Journal
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Jaz-Michael King directs health care transparency at IPRO, a non-profit health care quality improvement organization. This blog is updated by Jaz and members of the transparency team. If you would like help with your transparency efforts, please visit IPRO eServices.
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The site uses inpatient quality indicators (developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) to summarize the frequency and risk-adjusted outcomes of certain procedures. The site also presents hospital charges by top Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRGs), along with median length of stay and patient age. Further, it offers links to the CMS "Hospital Compare" Web site, which illustrates the frequency with which hospitals provide recommended care.
The quality indicators are derived from standardized billing data submitted by Kentucky hospitals. Since 1998, hospitals have been required to submit de-identified inpatient administrative data for the purpose of health care quality reporting. Many hospitals also use this data to manage their own quality improvement initiatives.
As reported in this months States in Action bi-monthly newsletter from the Commonwealth Fund, more quality indicators and other relevant health information are to be added in the coming weeks and months. For example, in early June, a series of maps illustrating rates of prevention quality indicators by county will be added.
Snapshots: State Activity in Public Reporting and Health Information Technology, States in Action: A Bimonthly Look at Innovations in Health Policy, The Commonwealth Fund, May/June 2007