HPCI News: Iowa Hospital Transparency on Safety, Quality and Affordability
To: Members and selected others
Iowa ranks 3rd from last among the states as a percentage of hospitals reporting to The Leapfrog Group according to a new report by Castlight Health. The Heartland Health Research Institute recently reported similar very low grades:
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Grading of Iowa Hospitals on "Transparency in Medical Outcomes (size weighted): "D" and "F's"
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Cost Transparency of Iowa Hospitals (size weighted): "D's" and "F's"
According to Castlight Health, 1,437 hospitals
across the United States completed the 2013 Leapfrog Hospital Survey. Of
these, only three (3) were from Iowa. That makes Iowa 3rd from the bottom.
Maine had the highest score with 100% of the hospitals reporting.
The
Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit founded in 2000 by a coalition of
employer purchasers of health benefits with support from the Business
Roundtable, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Commonwealth Fund.
Since its inception, It has successfully driven a national movement towards
increased transparency of information on hospital safety, quality, and
affordability. According the Castlight Health report, the Leapfrog Hospital
Survey - a free, evidence-based, annual voluntary survey - remains by far
the most powerful tool in the country for hospitals to publically
demonstrate their transparency, safety, and quality results. Results are
publically reported by hospital on
www.LeapfrogGroup.org.
The Castlight Health report highlights
variation in performance across regions, between urban and rural hospitals,
and trends over time, while looking closely at results in several areas of
hospital safety and quality:
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Medication Errors
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Maternity Care
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High Risk Surgeries
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Hospital-Acquired Conditions: infections in Intensive Care Units, Pressure Ulcers, and Injuries
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ICU Physician Staffing
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Serious Adverse Events Including Never Events
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Safe Practices
The Castlight Health report is entitled
2013 Leapfrog Hospital Survey Results. More information is also
available through the HPCI office.
Note: HPCI and the Iowa Health
Buyers Alliance are the Leapfrog Group Regional Rollout Leaders for greater
Iowa which includes Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Hospitals are encouraged to
complete the Leapfrog Hospital Survey. This effort has broad support
including employer purchasers, ABI, Iowa Medicaid, public sector employers,
AARP Iowa, labor unions, and major Iowa health insurers (except Wellmark).
WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR IOWA HOSPITALS TO BECOME TRANSPARENT AND
ACCOUNTABLE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS?
Paul M. Pietzsch, MPH
HPCI - IHBA Office
4430 Ashley Park Drive
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
(515) 778-6300