Hospitals are demonstrating faster improvement in care quality than other healthcare settings, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The AHRQ's "2013 National Healthcare Quality Report" indicates 75 percent of hospital quality measures improved from the 2000-2002 period to the 2010-2011 period. A measure was deemed to be improving if quality is moving in a positive direction at an average annual rate greater than 1 percent per year.
Approximately 60 percent of home health and hospice and nursing home quality measures improved, and approximately 50 percent of ambulatory care provider quality measures improved.
The reports suggest public reporting of quality measures such as CMS' Hospital Compare have contributed to these quality improvements. Every CMS measure tracked and publicly reported on the Hospital Compare website experienced improvement, while only 60 percent of non-publicly reported hospital measures improved.
"Hospitals are clearly engaged in efforts to improve health care quality in the United States," said AHRQ director Richard Kronick, Ph.D in a news release. "The intense national focus on quality improvement in hospitals is starting to pay off, but much work remains to make sure that all Americans have access to high-quality care in every setting."
Note: This article was edited on May 20 to update "ambulatory surgery centers" to "ambulatory care provider" as a more accurate indication of what facilities' quality measures improved.
More Articles on Quality Care:
Multi-Layered Strategy Reduces CLABSI Rates, Increases Infection Control Compliance
3 Key Considerations for Developing Evidence-Based Best Practices
4 Key Ways to Improve Clinical Outcomes