The CMS released data today on hospital readmissions for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia that found little change in performance.
The agency released 30-day mortality rates and 30-day readmission rates for the three conditions and data on surgical infections and outpatient treatment for possible heart attack victims. And 10 patient satisfaction measures show “modest but meaningful” improvement, though not for all measures, the CMS said.
The CMS also unveiled a website that CMS Administrator Dr. Donald Berwick said would allow “one-stop shopping” for consumers looking for information on quality or the type of services provided by hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, home care or dialysis providers.
The data found only small changes to the readmissions rate, according to Medicare, which compared data for the years 2007 through 2010 against data for the years between 2006 and 2009.
The national 30-day readmission rate for heart attacks for the 2007-2010 years was 19.8% compared with 19.9% for the prior period.
For heart failure, readmission rate between 2007 and 2010 was 24.8% compared with 24.5%. Pneumonia 30-day readmission rates increased to 18.4% for the years 2007 to 2010 from 18.2%.
The CMS' Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program, which will lower reimbursement to hospitals with excess readmissions for heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia, will be based on next year's readmission rates, Donald McLeod, a spokesman for the agency said in an e-mail.
The U.S. heart attack death rate declined slightly but 30-day mortality for heart failure rose marginally and pneumonia increased slightly.
The national heart attack 30-day mortality rate edged lower to 15.9% from 16.2% for the 2007-10 and 2006-09 data, respectively. For heart failure, the rate increased to 11.3% from 11.2% for the same periods. Pneumonia 30-day mortality rates increased to 11.9% from 11.6%.
The CMS also released its latest work plan for Quality Improvement Organization programs that offer hospitals and other providers resources and assistance.
Send us a letter
Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.
