CMS updated data on the Hospital Compare website and on data.medicare.gov to provide patients, families and stakeholders with the information they need to compare the performance of hospitals where they seek medical care. Along with data on quality measures, CMS also updated the Overall Hospital Star Rating. “CMS is committed to empowering beneficiaries by providing transparent, comprehensive, and reliable information,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said.
For this update, CMS responded to stakeholder concerns by updating several existing measures and the Overall Star Rating. The Overall Star Rating is revised to use an enhanced methodology to assign ratings to hospitals, based on Technical Expert Panel recommendations and public input. “We continue to refine the Star Ratings and look forward to an ongoing dialogue with hospitals and patients and their families on how we can provide beneficiaries useful information,” Verma said.
As part of the recent update, CMS posted supporting documents on the QualityNet website, including:
- Quarterly Specifications: Updates on national distributions of the Star Ratings
- Comprehensive Methodology: Enhancements to the Overall Star Rating methodology
- Statistical Analysis System Package: Materials to calculate individual Star Ratings
Read more about the website updates to compare hospital quality.