National and State Safety and Quality Resources
Memorial Healthcare System participates in the public reporting of healthcare results and quality data to help consumers make informed healthcare decisions. There are numerous public resources available. Listed below are some national and state programs and organizations that promote quality healthcare initiatives, and provide information related to hospital comparisons, health outcomes data and quality measures. Please be advised that no one website should be used to determine where or how you receive your healthcare. We suggest you consult your physician, family, and insurance plan to assist with your healthcare decisions.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducts health services research in several areas, including quality improvement, patient safety and outcomes. AHRQ partners with the public and private sectors to determine whether certain practices are effective. In addition to conducting and funding research, the AHRQ assists as this information and knowledge are applied in the delivery of healthcare and policy making. www.ahrq.gov/consumer
A section of the AHRQ website is dedicated to providing information to consumers and patients. Some of the available information includes:
- Five Steps to Safer Health Care
www.ahrq.gov/consumer/5steps.pdf - Your Guide to Choosing Quality Health Care
www.ahrq.gov/consumer/qntool.htm - Guide to Healthcare Quality: How to Know It When You See It
www.ahrq.gov/consumer/guidetoq/guidetoq.pdf - Check Your Medicines
www.ahrq.gov/consumer/checkmeds.pdf
AHCA’s FloridaHealthFinder
The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) created the FloridaHealthFinder website to provide Florida residents with healthcare information and data. The website includes comparisons of hospitals, ambulatory (same-day) surgery centers, health plans, nursing homes and prescription drug prices. The hospital comparisons provide information on length of stay (LOS) and hospital charges, along with readmission, mortality, complication and infection rates by procedure/condition. Hospital profiles include ownership, number of beds, hospital services/characteristics, mortality rates for inpatient procedures and conditions, and the number of procedures done in each area. In addition, you can search for healthcare professionals’ licensure information and practitioner profiles. There is a wealth of additional information available to assist consumers making healthcare decisions. www.floridahealthfinder.gov
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency, oversees many health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program), and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). The CMS website contains information related to these programs and additional tools comparing Medicare health plans, dialysis facilities and nursing homes. www.cms.hhs.gov
Hospital Compare
Hospital Compare, set up jointly by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, provides information related to the following conditions: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care improvement/surgical infection prevention. It allows you to compare up to 12 hospitals at one time. For each generated graph, data is compared with the average for all reporting hospitals in the United States and Florida, as well as the hospitals you select. www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a not-for-profit organization, works to bring about change and improvements in the delivery of healthcare worldwide through such campaigns as the 100,000 Lives Campaign and the 5 Million Lives Campaign, and through efforts to improve patient care by being action-oriented and results-driven. Voluntary participants work toward a unified goal of protecting patients from five million incidents of medical harm from December 2006 to December 2008. This program is based on the implementation of 12 changes in the delivery of healthcare that will decrease patient errors and the associated deaths. www.ihi.org
National Patient Safety Goals
The Joint Commission sets National Patient Safety Goals and requirements on an annual basis. The process is overseen by a panel of patient safety experts from a wide variety of healthcare professions and settings. Following extensive review of data, literature and information from numerous healthcare stakeholders, the goals are developed and updated to reflect national priorities. www.jointcommission.org/patientsafety/nationalpatientsafetygoals
Speak Up™
A Joint Commission patient safety initiative, the Speak Up™ program is dedicated to empowering patients and families to increase their involvement in the delivery of their healthcare. This will help prevent medical errors and adverse outcomes, and lead to high-quality care in a safer environment. You will find informative brochures and videos describing how you, as a patient or family member, can do the following:
- Help prevent errors in care for surgical patients
- Prevent infection
- Prevent medication mistakes
- Prevent medical test mistakes
- Become informed about research studies
- Become informed about organ donation
- Plan for recovery
www.jointcommission.org/GeneralPublic/Speak+Up/about_speakup.htm
The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that both evaluates and accredits healthcare organizations. All of the hospitals within the Memorial Healthcare System are accredited by The Joint Commission. This accreditation represents our commitment to safety and quality, and is recognized nationwide. www.jointcommission.org
The Quality Report
The Quality Report is a document that provides the general public and health care professionals with relevant and useful information regarding the quality and safety of Joint Commission-accredited organizations. This tool allows you to search for hospitals by state, organization name or zip code. The quality report includes the accreditation decision by The Joint Commission, accredited programs and survey dates, compliance with national patient safety goals as set forth by The Joint Commission each year, and the locations of care and services offered. www.qualitycheck.org