From: OpenMinds
In a recent update to the Medicare Hospital Compare ratings, the number of hospitals awarded the maximum five stars dropped by about one-third, from 336 in July 205 to 207. The update added hospital scores on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) to the ratings for the second time; the first was in April 2015.
The 207 five-star hospitals represent about 6% of the 3,539 Medicare-certified acute-care hospitals in October 2015. For this most recent update to the star ratings, CMS included 11 different patient-ranked HCAHPS categories for the reporting period of January 1 through December 31, 2014. Each measure also receives a star rating. The categories are grouped into composite measures (7) related to clinical care, hospital facility measures (2), and global measures (2). The composite measures are as follows:
- Communication with nurses
- Communication with doctors
- Responsiveness of hospital staff
- Pain management
- Communication about medicines
- Discharge information
- Care transition