Quality Resources
Quality indicators are reported by a number of independent organizations. These Web sites may be useful in gaining a better understanding of the quality reporting process and in comparing the quality of Scripps Health with other hospitals and health care organizations.
Links provided to these organizations are not endorsements of these sites or the information they provide.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides hospital quality data on its www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov web site. The rating tool includes information on how well the hospitals in given areas care for their adult patients with certain medical conditions.
Hospital Compare was created through the efforts of the CMS and organizations that represent hospitals, doctors, employers, accrediting organizations, other federal agencies and the public.
Joint Commission
An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Recognized as a symbol of quality, the Joint Commission provides a service on its web site called “Quality Check,” a comprehensive guide to all Joint Commission accredited health care organizations.
Through Quality Check, visitors are able to search for health care facilities by name or region and compare hospitals on key quality indicators. Quality Check can be found at http://qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx.
CHART
The California Hospital Assessment and Reporting Taskforce (CHART) was established in 2004 to develop a statewide hospital performance reporting system using a multi-stakeholder collaborative process. CHART reports the performance of individual California hospitals to consumers, purchasers, and health plans.
On the “Cal Hospital Compare” website, visitors are able to search for California hospitals by name or region and compare performance on CHART quality indicators. Cal Hospital Compare can be found at http://www.calhospitalcompare.org.
The Leapfrog Group
With more than 170 members made up of Fortune 500 companies and other large private and public organizations that provide health benefits, the Leapfrog Group represents 36 million American health care consumers. Its overall mission is to make reporting health care quality and outcomes a routine feature of the U.S. health care system.
Through use of a voluntary quality survey, the Leapfrog group gathers and reports information on hospital quality and patient safety efforts. On its Web site, www.leapfroggroup.org, consumers can search for participating health care organizations by name or region. Scripps Health is a voluntary participant in The Leapfrog Group survey.
Solucient
Solucient publishes an annual “100 Top Hospitals: National Benchmarks for Success” report in Modern Healthcare magazine and on its web site. The report seeks to objectively identify the highest performing hospitals in the nation and report on that performance.
Focused on clinical excellence, operating efficiency, financial health and responsiveness to the community, measures reviewed include patient safety, mortality, complications, length of stay, and growth in patient volume.
A complete list of all hospitals named to the 100 Top Hospitals list is available on www.100tophospitals.com.
Office of the Patient Advocate
The Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) Web site provides a quality report card on top medical groups and HMOs in California. You can also find helpful information about how to use your health plan. See www.opa.ca.gov.