Source
BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina, Durham, NC 27702-2291, USA. john.fong@bcbsnc.com
Abstract
To assess the performance of its contracted hospitals, Highmark developed the Hospital Quality Performance Report, which used 4 databases (patient satisfaction, patient safety, quality indicators, and hospital compare data) to assess patient safety and quality of care. Our study found little pairwise correlation among any of the databases used in the Hospital Quality Performance Report, highlighting the importance of assessing performance across multiple measures. Regression analysis of a set of common characteristics used to describe hospitals revealed an association between hospital bed size and the composite score, patient satisfaction score, patient safety score, and hospital compare data score and an association between hospital accreditation with the composite score, patient safety score, and hospital compare data score. Additional study is necessary to assess whether the report, as currently constructed, is sufficient to advance patient safety and quality of care in hospitals.