Groups collaborate on hospital performance initiative

The voluntary program will grade health care facilities nationwide on how well they adhere to 10 practice standards; results will be posted online.

By Andis Robeznieks, AMNews staff. Jan. 20, 2003.

"Quality health care," as defined by the Rhode Island Dept. of Health, is when a hospital gives a needed medicine, treatment or test at the right time. That definition also describes the spirit behind a new effort to collect and share information on hospital performance.

As part of a national quality initiative, the public soon will have access to how well many local hospitals adhered to practice standards for treatment of acute myocardial infarction, heart failure and pneumonia.

These standards include providing aspirin and beta-blockers to acute myocardial infarction patients upon admission and discharge, and assessing oxygen levels in pneumonia patients upon admission and giving them antibiotics in a timely manner.

Hospitals involved in the voluntary effort will report their performance to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which will post the data on its Web site this year. Other organizations and agencies involved in the effort include: the American Hospital Assn., the Federation of American Hospitals, the Assn. of American Medical Colleges, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the National Quality Forum, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

"The initial response has been nothing but positive," said AHA spokeswoman Amy Lee. "A lot of the impetus behind this was from our members who said: 'We want to do this, but we need your help.' "

Joseph L. Murphy, MD, president of the medical staff at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago and a member of the governing council of AMA's Organized Medical Staff Section, said the participation of all these different groups is something positive. But he warned that this could easily change.