Dive Brief:
- More US hospitals are providing the recommended care to patients with common conditions, according to a report released by the Joint Commission on Thursday.
- Hospitals that provide recommended care for 95% of patients are considered "top performers;" In 2013, 1,224 hospitals received that designation, compared to 1,099 in 2012 and 620 in 2011. There was at least one top-performing hospital in every state in 2013.
- Hospitals self-report their quality data on treatment for patients with heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical care. "When hospitals work to improve on these measures, outcomes for patients get better," said commission president Dr. Mark Chassin.
Dive Insight:
The Joint Commission makes the performance reports from most of the over-4,000 hospitals it accredits public online. Of the 3,300 Joint Commission-accredited US hospitals with data presented in this new report, over one-third were top performers last year. The report also provides the national average figures for giving the recommended treatments.