To construct the summary star scores, some fairly complex statistical calculations are performed, which essentially use rank order performance on individual measures, weighted by importance to come up with a summary score. Given that the quality for different types of care can vary widely within a single institution, it is unlikely that a single summary score would accurately represent the quality of care for all conditions or procedures at one hospital. Consumers want to know about the quality a hospital delivers for their condition or for a medical procedure. The Quality of Summary ScoresĪ single summary score that describes overall quality at one hospital is probably not very useful for consumers. More fundamental concerns are whether a single summary score makes sense whether we should grade quality on a curve and whether we are measuring the right things. In our view, however, these are not the biggest problems with the 5-star summary score or the measures from which they are derived. This is a valid concern that should be evaluated. The methodology used to create the scores has been criticized as unfair for lack of adequate risk adjustment of the medical complexity and socioeconomic disadvantages of the patients some hospitals disproportionately serve. In addition, there is now a single summary star rating based upon performance on the individual measures. The 5-star scores are based upon 64 measures of hospital quality that are published on the Hospital Compare website. The relevant question is whether the new 5-star hospital ratings facilitate either. We expect these actions to improve public health by directing consumers to higher quality providers and by inspiring all providers to deliver higher quality care. ![]() The reason we measure and publicly report quality is to facilitate improvements in the health of the population by a) informing consumers about high- or low-quality providers that they might want to choose or avoid, and b) providing information to providers that they can act upon to improve the care they deliver and the scores the public will see. In defense of the scores, CMS and various other stakeholders have cited the need for quality transparency that consumers can use to help guide choice of health care providers. In advance of the release and since, hospitals have criticized these scores as inaccurate and unfair. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released summary "5-star" scores for hospitals on its Hospital Compare website.
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