 Each mySChospital measure must go through several steps to make sure that the information
in the measure is valuable to the public. Experts in measuring health care quality,
as well as people who represent insurance companies, businesses, consumers, policy
makers and hospitals are all involved in this selection
process.
Each measure is reviewed against the following questions:
- Does the measure report on a high volume or high cost diagnosis or procedure?
- Does the measure focus on care that research indicates will improve patient outcomes?
- Does the measure focus on improving the safety of hospital care?
- Does the measure look at care that most South Carolina hospitals provide?
- Is there a method available to create the data?
- Will the information be of interest to consumers, purchasers
and hospitals?
- Does the measure focus on an issue that other South Carolina organizations are working
on?
- Is the measure used in other public reporting programs?
Each measure reported in mySChospital meets many, but not all of the requirements
of these questions.
Quality and Safety Measure Options
mySChospital reports several types of measures that provide different information.
Process measures look at how often a desired action takes place.
These measures reflect health care interventions that research has shown increase
the likelihood of a better outcome. Process measures are usually reports as a percentage
or a rate. Giving a heart attack patient an aspirin within 24 hour of arrival to
the hospital is an example of a process measure.
Outcome measures show the result of care. These measures are frequently
adjusted for patient factors, like a chronic illness, that increase the risk that
a patient will have a negative outcome. Some outcome measures are also adjusted
for hospital factors that influence the outcome of care. For example, a hospital
that is affiliated with a university has different resources available to care for
patients than a community hospital. Outcome measures are reported as a rate, or
comparison to what was expected. A mortality (death) rate is an example of an outcome
measure.
Summary measures combine two or more process measures or outcomes
to create a picture of overall care. A summary measure is created by adding up the
results of individual measures/outcomes or by setting a requirement that the individual
measures/outcomes must all meet. The heart attack optimal care measure is an example of a summary
measure.
Patient Experience of Care is another way of measuring health care.
These data come from surveys and help hospitals understand their patients
experience with or how satisfied they were with their care. These results are typically
reported as a percentage.
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