Clinical Quality Reports/Core Measures

Utilization of evidenced-based care standards is vital to ensure that our patients receive not only appropriate, but timely treatment of their medical conditions. Core Measure scores reflect how often, percentage-wise, patients in our facilities receive the disease-specific recommended course of treatment.

Houston Healthcare currently submits Core Measure data to both the Joint Commission and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This data is placed into a national data clearinghouse and publicly reported by CMS on websites such as www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov, where it is available for the public to use and compare healthcare providers in their communities when seeking medical care. Such public reporting has the benefit of allowing health care institutions to evaluate their performance and develop ways in which to improve the care provided to the communities they serve.

Understanding that every patient is unique, there are well defined exclusion criteria for each of the Core Measures. These criteria were designed to allow for the fact that sometimes best practices may not be the best care option for every patient. A drug allergy is one example of a condition that would exclude a patient from a set of specific Core Measures.

Evidence has shown that patients who receive the recommended care are more likely to experience positive outcomes, such as decreased likelihood of suffering from morbidity and mortality. The clinical outcome of the patient is not currently reported as part of Core Measures reporting. As programs such as Value Based Purchasing continue to move forward, clinical outcomes will become an area of focus that will be publicly reported in the future. This information will also assist consumers in comparing healthcare providers in their communities when seeking medical services.

At Houston Healthcare, we currently review and report on the following Core Measures: (by clicking on the links below, you will find charts and statistical data representing our Core Measure performance)

• Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI)
• Heart Failure
• Pneumonia
• Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP)