HealthGrades Study: New Hospital Ratings Show Wide 'Quality Chasm'; Eighth Annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study Released; 2006 Ratings of 5,000 Hospitals Launched at HealthGrades.com.GOLDEN, Colo. -- 65% Lower Chance of Dying at Five-Star Hospitals Compared with One-Star Hospitals; Better Outcomes Associated with Higher Volume and More Specialists in Intensive Care, Confirming Leapfrog Standard A typical patient has a 65 percent lower chance of dying at the nation's highest-rated hospitals compared with the lowest-rated hospitals, in 18 common procedures and diagnoses, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a large-scale large-scale adj. 1. Large in scope or extent. 2. Drawn or made large to show detail. large-scale Adjective 1. wide-ranging or extensive 2. study released today by HealthGrades (Nasdaq: HGRD). That "quality chasm," the HealthGrades study shows, is growing, as the nation's best-performing hospitals lowered their mortality rates 45 percent faster than the poorest-performing hospitals over the same time period. The findings are part of the eighth annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America America [for Amerigo Vespucci], the lands of the Western Hemisphere—North America, Central (or Middle) America, and South America. The world map published in 1507 by Martin Waldseemüller is the first known cartographic use of the name. Study, which analyzes 37 million Medicare Medicare, national health insurance program in the United States for persons aged 65 and over and the disabled. It was established in 1965 with passage of the Social Security Amendments and is now run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. hospitalization hospitalization /hos·pi·tal·iza·tion/ (hos?pi-t'l-i-za´shun) 1. the placing of a patient in a hospital for treatment. 2. the term of confinement in a hospital. records, from the years 2002 through 2004, to rate the quality of care at each of the nation's more than 5,000 nonfederal hospitals. The hospital ratings, for 28 procedures and diagnoses at each facility, are listed free of charge for consumers at www.healthgrades.com. "There is real reason to celebrate in this year's study of quality at America's hospitals," said Samantha Samantha good witch married to a mortal. [TV: “Bewitched” in Terrace, I, 94–95] See : Witchcraft Collier, MD, the primary author of the study and the vice president of medical affairs at HealthGrades, the leading healthcare ratings company. "Overall, mortality rates are declining at our nation's hospitals. However, there's still a lot of work to be done because our findings support that we're we're Contraction of we are. we're we are not making much headway head·way n. 1. Forward movement or the rate of forward movement, especially of a ship. 2. Progress toward a goal. 3. The clear vertical space beneath a ceiling or archway; clearance. 4. in closing the 'quality chasm' between the best and worst hospitals. If all hospitals performed as well as the highest-rated hospitals, more than a quarter million lives would have been saved over the past three years." Overall mortality rates improved 12 percent, the study shows, with some of the better outcomes associated with higher hospital volumes and higher numbers of physicians who specialize spe·cial·ize v. 1. To limit one's profession to a particular specialty or subject area for study, research, or treatment. 2. To adapt to a particular function or environment. in critically ill patients, called intensivists, staffing intensive care units (ICUs). The annual HealthGrades study rates each nonfederal hospital with a one-, three- or five-star rating indicating poor, average or excellent outcomes in each of 28 medical categories. Taken together, the ratings produce the following findings: --The nation's in-hospital risk-adjusted mortality rate improved, on average, 12 percent from 2002 to 2004. But the degree of improvement varied widely by procedure and diagnosis studied. --Five-star-rated hospitals had significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality rates across all three years studied and improved 21 percent more than the U.S. hospital average and 45 percent more than 1-star-rated hospitals. --A typical patient would have, on average, a 65 percent lower chance of dying in a 5-star-rated hospital compared to a 1-star-rated hospital, and a 45 percent lower chance of dying in a 5-star-rated hospital compared to the U.S. hospital average. --If all hospitals performed at the level of a 5-star-rated hospital across 18 of the procedures and diagnoses studied, 273,137 Medicare lives could have potentially been saved from 2002 through 2004. Fifty percent of the potentially preventable deaths were associated with just four diagnoses: Heart Failure, Community Acquired Pneumonia pneumonia (n  mōn`yə), acute infection of one or both lungs that can be caused by a bacterium, usually Streptococcus pneumoniae , Sepsis Sepsis DefinitionSepsis refers to a bacterial infection in the bloodstream or body tissues. This is a very broad term covering the presence of many types of microscopic disease-causing organisms. and Respiratory Failure Respiratory Failure Definition Respiratory failure is nearly any condition that affects breathing function or the lungs themselves and can result in failure of the lungs to function properly. . --Five-star-rated hospitals have higher volumes and higher rates of intensivists staffing ICUs associated with three severe illnesses. Higher volumes are associated with better outcomes for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm abdominal aortic aneurysm A focal aortic dilation of ≥ 50% ↑ in diameter, accompanied by distension and weakened aortic wall Epidemiology Incidence is rising 12/105–1951; 36/105 Repair. Higher rate of ICUs staffed with intensivists is associated with better outcomes for Diabetic Acidosis diabetic acidosis n. See diabetic ketoacidosis. and Coma and Pulmonary Embolism Pulmonary Embolism Definition Pulmonary embolism is an obstruction of a blood vessel in the lungs, usually due to a blood clot, which blocks a coronary artery. . ICU ICU intensive care unit. ICU abbr. intensive care unit ICU see intensive care unit. ICU intensivist intensivist Intensive care specialist Medtalk A hospital-based critical care physician who works primarily in an ICU. See Hospitalist. staffing is an indicator Indicator Anything used to predict future financial or economic trends. Notes: In the context of technical analysis, an indicator is a mathematical calculation based on a securities price and/or volume. The result is used to predict future prices. of quality promoted by the Leapfrog Group, and the data used in this study is part of the Leapfrog Group Survey.
Table: Hospital Improvement by Procedure and Diagnoses: 2002-2004
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Relative
Risk
Relative Reduction Reduction
Risk Associated in Deaths
Reduction with if All
Associated 5-Star Hospitals
Percent of with Hospitals Operated
Improvement 5-Star Compared at 5-Star
U.S. Hospitals to Level
Hospitalization Average Compared National (2002-
Diagnosis or Procedure (2002-2004) to 1-Star Avg. 2004)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Abdominal Aortic
Aneurysm Repair 13.04% 74.75% 52.00% 428
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Acute Myocardial
Infarction 6.44% 42.13% 24.90% 26,431
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Atrial Fibrillation 18.65% 88.28% 76.23% 5,718
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bowel Obstruction 14.32% 62.50% 40.92% 11,653
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease 17.46% 72.08% 51.79% 14,630
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Acquired
Pneumonia 16.02% 57.02% 35.60% 40,986
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Coronary Bypass
Surgery 11.68% 70.81% 48.89% 5,537
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Coronary
Interventional
Procedures -2.09%(a) 64.45% 44.28% 7,811
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Diabetic Acidosis and
Coma 21.88% 92.89% 82.57% 2,884
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GI Bleed 17.53% 69.95% 49.02% 11,903
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GI Surgery and
Procedures 0.55% 55.75% 34.77% 18,371
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Heart Failure 17.38% 57.92% 36.27% 34,380
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Pancreatitis 22.15% 81.54% 60.68% 1,307
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulmonary Embolism 16.82% 75.41% 55.26% 1,972
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Respiratory Failure 0.46% 45.67% 27.06% 30,145
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sepsis 3.44% 47.46% 27.42% 29,874
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Stroke 10.58% 48.70% 28.64% 26,134
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Valve Replacement
Surgery 9.97% 65.43% 43.79% 2,973
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AVERAGE / TOTAL 12.13% 65.15% 45.56% 273,137
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) The negative value was caused by a change in the data. Effective
in 2004, drug eluting stents were coded with their own ICD-9 code,
and this code was one of the predictors used to create the
expected value. This code decreased the "expected" for 2004 only,
resulting in a larger ratio for that year.
The full study, along with its methodology, can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com. About HealthGrades HealthGrades (Nasdaq: HGRD) is the leading healthcare ratings company, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, physicians and nursing homes to consumers, corporations, health plans and hospitals. Millions of consumers and hundreds of the nation's largest employers, health plans and hospitals rely on HealthGrades' independent ratings to make healthcare decisions based on the quality of care. More information on the company can be found at http://www.healthgrades.com. Editor's Note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. : Full study can be downloaded from http://www.healthgrades.com |
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