SECTION II: About the Hospital Quality Check Hospital Report

This section of Hospital Quality Quality Check will show you what hospitals are doing to improve care for patients that may experience (one of the following most commonly seen core measures):
  Click on one of the measures below to learn more about about it.  
To view other sections, click on one of these:

PHA Quality Index Score
Current Rate for
October 2008 - September 2009
Number %
 
What is the PHA Quality Index

The quality index is a way of joining all kinds of information into one number. You can use this number as one tool to help you look at any hospital in Georgia.  You need to know that this is not the whole picture.  Some hospitals see more patients; some hospitals see sicker patients. 

We try to show this by adjusting the scores to make it more equal between hospitals. This index works best if you look at a lot of hospitals instead of just one or two.  Talking with your doctor to see what hospital might be best for you is another way to decide about hospitals.  You are the most important person on your healthcare team.
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Hospital X
Percentile of The Joint Commission accredited hospitals scored equal to or better than:
PHA: Georgia accredited hospitals that scored higher than:
PHA Quality Index Score
Previous Rate
Current Rate
Improved
National 90%
National Average
PHA Threshold
Current Rate

In the Hospital Profile you will see a table like the one above. The numbers will show (from left to right):

Previous rate - Last one year data period (October 2008 - September 2009) rate for a clinical study or core measure
Current rate - This year's data period (January 2009 - December 2009) rate for a clinical study or core measure. The current rate is the newest 4 quarters of data, rolling forward 3 months from the previous one year data period.
Improved - If a hospital has improved in a clinical area from the previous one year data period
National 90% - National comparison published by the Joint Commission for (January 2009 - December 2009)
National average - National comparison published by the Joint Commission for (January 2009 - December 2009)
PHA threshold - A hospital has met or exceeded the goal of the statewide reporting program based on The Joint Commission reviewed data for January (January 2009 - December 2009)
-(number) - Decrease in rate from previous rate to current rate
N/A - Data Not available. This may refer to specialty hospitals that do not submit data for these core measures.
N/T:  No Threshold set

What are Core Measures?

Core Measures are part of a national program by the Joint Commission on Healthcare Accreditation, The Joint Commission (a national hospital reporting agency).

  • Georgia hospitals study these clinical areas for a period of one year for patients who have been treated in their hospital,.and submit their study results to The Joint Commission or to PHA.
  • Reports are returned giving the hospital information about the care they give, and compare them to other hospitals from Georgia or similar hospitals across the country.
  • This information is reported in the hospital profile part of Hospital Quality Check as well as on the The Joint Commission website under "Quality Check". Information like this helps hospitals track their performance over time.
Ask questions - Ask questions that help you understand your care

For more information about What are Core Measures, click here.

Because each hospital is different, you should consider several factors when determining which hospital is right for you.

NATIONAL REPORTING - Does your hospital participate?

The Joint Commission (TJC)

  • This national group sets standards and rules for good and safe healthcare. The Joint Commission can also help show hospitals how to meet these rules. If hospitals meet The Joint Commission standards, they are "accredited."

Continuous Survey Readiness (CSR)

  • In Georgia there is a program that hospitals can pay to belong to. It is called CSR/Orion. It was started over ten years ago by the Georgia Hospital Association and The Joint Commission. This program teaches hospitals good ways to meet The Joint Commission standards and rules. CSR/Orion offers more to hospitals when compared to other programs that are similar, including education, sharing and advice to meet The Joint Commission standards.

Center for Medicare& Medicaid Services (CMS)

  • A national government agency works with states to administer the Medicaid program.
  • Creates and maintains quality standards in hospitals through surveys and certification.
  • CMS reviews data from hospitals in 3 areas: Heart Attack, Heart Failure and Pneumonia.

American Hospital Association (AHA)

  • A national organization that assists hospitals across the United States in many areas of health improvement practices including Heart Attack, Heart Failure, and Pneumonia.
  • Patient's Bill of Rights - To learn more about them click below:
Ask questions - Asking questions will help you understand your care
 
STATEWIDE REPORTING - Does your hospital participate?

Partnership for Health and Accountability (PHA) Initiatives: PHA is a statewide program that brings together the Georgia Hospital Association, hospitals, providers, healthcare groups, payers, employers, and community leaders. The goal of PHA is to make healthcare better and safer by promoting the use of evidence-based guidelines or other best practices that reduce medication errors and significant patient safety issues (falls, bedsores, wrong site surgery). The program promotes voluntary sharing, studying, and learning from others to reduce the risk of errors or adverse outcomes. Click here to learn more.
Safe Medication Use Reporting to PHA
Hospitals submit safe medication use reports annually to PHA:
1. They report their top 3 medication errors
2. Create an improvement plan and work on improving one or more of their top three errors.
3. Evaluate how their improvement plan worked to decrease medication errors.
These reports are used to monitor medication safety trends and share successful strategies to improve medication safety in Georgia hospitals. "YES" shows that this hospital is current with safe medication error improvement reporting.

Collaborative Approach to Resource Effectiveness (CARE2): Looks at the results of care in all Georgia hospitals. Hospitals can use this to learn where they are doing well and where they can do better. Hospitals use CARE2 to help them.
Ask questions - Asking questions will help you understand your care

For more information about Statewide Initiatives, click here.

PHA Quality & Patient Safety Award

The PHA Quality and Patient Safety Award has recognized health care organizations for achievement in reducing the risk of medical errors and improving patient safety and medical outcomes.
Since 2000, award winners are chosen from hospitals that have found new, tested, and proven ways to make hospitals safer and reduce mistakes.
Top CARE Hospital Award
The GHA Top CARE Hospital Award recognizes Georgia hospitals that have consistently shown high performance in healthcare processes, outcomes and patient safety. These hospitals are among the quality and safety leaders for the state of Georgia.