Memphis Business Group on Health (MBGH) applauds Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (Methodist) for making their quality of care report card public on their websites. Specifically, MBGH is pleased with this initiative for the following reasons:
• MBGH has been working with Memphis-area hospitals since 1997 to improve transparency. As advocates for our member employers, we’ve consistently pressured hospitals to measure and publicly report their performance and to use this information to improve the quality of care they provide.
• MBGH has been asking Methodist to report quality information separately for their adult hospitals since 2002. In response to our request for Methodist to participate in our Leapfrog initiative, they have responded to The Leapfrog Group Annual Hospital Survey separately for each adult hospital. Until now, other publicly available quality reports have only been at the system level, essentially reporting average performance across the system. System-level reporting has not been useful to employers as they try to educate their employees about selecting hospitals that provide higher quality care. In this new initiative, Methodist is reporting quality information by facility which is a significant advancement.
• MBGH has asked Memphis-area hospitals to report their performance on a regular basis, which allows employer purchasers and employees to track performance over time, including whether hospitals improve performance or if there is lack of improvement. Methodist has committed to reporting this information regardless of whether it shows they are providing quality care or if they need to improve, thereby providing the good news and the not-so-good news.
This initiative is an excellent first step in increasing transparency with area employer purchasers and employees/potential patients. MBGH asks that all Memphis-area hospitals look to this as a local transparency standard they should try to meet and exceed.
As this initiative takes root, MBGH asks all Memphis-area hospitals, including Methodist, to add additional critical information to their online information. Information on outcomes, such as survival rates/mortality rates; structure measures such as staffing in ICUs and computerized physician order entry; and hospital acquired conditions, such as falls, pressure ulcers, and infections is already available and would not require significant work to add to the reports.
Gary Shorb, President and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, emphasizes their commitment to working with MBGH and purchaser employers to provide additional information that is useful to employers and their employees. MBGH is meeting with Gary and senior Methodist staff to work out the specifics and timeline. We will keep you up-to-date as details are finalized.
We welcome the opportunity to work with other Memphis-area hospitals, as well, as they develop their transparency strategies.
In the meantime, we encourage you to access and use the Methodist Healthcare information by clicking below:
Methodist Healthcare Adult Quality
Le Bohneur Children’s Hospital Quality
Showing posts with label report cards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label report cards. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
MBGH Participating in TN's All Claims Database Development
MBGH is a member of the Tennessee Health Information Committee which oversees the development of TN's all claims database in terms of information that is collected and information that is publicly reported.
Click here to read a report which summarizes why states are creating these all claims databases. Examples of how information from these databases can be used include:
Click here to read a report which summarizes why states are creating these all claims databases. Examples of how information from these databases can be used include:
- Employers can begin to understand the variation in cost and utilization by geographic area within a state;
- The value equation (cost & quality) of new health care services can be assessed;
- The design and implementation of health reforms can be informed by data and data can be tracked to determine impact;
- Compare prevalence of disease across populations;
- Determine payer competitiveness;
- Report on the cost and quality of individual providers.
Friday, April 30, 2010
MBGH Recognizes 5 Memphis-area Hospitals for "Best Odds of Survival"
Click here to read about MBGH's Leapfrog awards to 5 Memphis-area hospitals that have "best odds of survival" in the Memphis Daily News.
Click here to read the press release which talks about other Memphis-area findings from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, including how Memphis hospitals compare to hospitals nationally on COST of care.
Click here to read the press release which talks about other Memphis-area findings from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, including how Memphis hospitals compare to hospitals nationally on COST of care.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
MBGH "Ahead of the Health Reform Curve"
Click here to read the Daily News article on MBGH being a leader in preparing Memphis employers, hospitals, health plans and other providers for health reform.
Note: Cristie Upshaw Travis is a member of the Purchaser Advisory Council for NCQA, not a member of the Board.
Note: Cristie Upshaw Travis is a member of the Purchaser Advisory Council for NCQA, not a member of the Board.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Addressing Over-Use by Reducing Diagnostic Imaging Services
The quality crisis is generally described as consisting of:
Addressing mis-use has generally been philosophically supported because, after all, how can someone morally support harming people in the system? Although philosophical support has been there, what to do to reduce or eliminate mis-use has been very controversial and progress has been slow.
But, work on over-use has been almost non-existent. Reducing over-use will directly impact health care organization's revenue. But now that cost has reared its head again as a major issue for purchasers, reducing over-use of services that provide little to no clinical value is back on the front burner.
In November 2008, the National Priorities Partnership, a group of 32 organizations convened by the National Quality Forum, announced 6 priorities, including reducing "overuse" of services that provide little to no clinical value (click here to learn more about all 6 priorities). The Partnership actually listed potential areas of over-use that should be addressed.
The over-use that seems to be front and center is diagnostic imaging. Significant work is being conducted
in both Washington state and Minnesota. Click here to read Bruce Seigel's (National Director of the Aligning Forces for Quality project) blog post on how organizations in these states are addressing overuse of imaging services by publicly reporting physician use of imaging services and establishing community-wide standars for appropriate use of imaging.
- Under-use
- Mis-use, and
- Over-use.
Addressing mis-use has generally been philosophically supported because, after all, how can someone morally support harming people in the system? Although philosophical support has been there, what to do to reduce or eliminate mis-use has been very controversial and progress has been slow.
But, work on over-use has been almost non-existent. Reducing over-use will directly impact health care organization's revenue. But now that cost has reared its head again as a major issue for purchasers, reducing over-use of services that provide little to no clinical value is back on the front burner.
In November 2008, the National Priorities Partnership, a group of 32 organizations convened by the National Quality Forum, announced 6 priorities, including reducing "overuse" of services that provide little to no clinical value (click here to learn more about all 6 priorities). The Partnership actually listed potential areas of over-use that should be addressed.
The over-use that seems to be front and center is diagnostic imaging. Significant work is being conducted
in both Washington state and Minnesota. Click here to read Bruce Seigel's (National Director of the Aligning Forces for Quality project) blog post on how organizations in these states are addressing overuse of imaging services by publicly reporting physician use of imaging services and establishing community-wide standars for appropriate use of imaging.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Proud to Be a Leapfrog Top Hospital
Dr. Jonathan Gottlieb, Chief Medical Officer at University of Maryland Medical Center, talks about why UMMC is proud to be one of The Leapfrog Group's Top Hospitals for the fourth straight year. It is wonderful to have a major medical center accept the challenge Leapfrog has issued to "trigger giant leaps" in the safety, quality and affordability of health care.
Memphis area hospitals have been national leaders in reporting to The Leapfrog Group's annual Hospital Survey and we have seen progress in the adoption of computerized provider order entry and in staffing intensive care units with physicians trained in critical care medicine. But we still have a long way to go to have a hospital included in Leapfrog's Top Hospital list.
MBGH is challenging Memphis-area hosptials to have at least one hospital on this list in 2011. Let's see which hospital(s) step up and accept the challenge!!
Click here to view the video.
Memphis area hospitals have been national leaders in reporting to The Leapfrog Group's annual Hospital Survey and we have seen progress in the adoption of computerized provider order entry and in staffing intensive care units with physicians trained in critical care medicine. But we still have a long way to go to have a hospital included in Leapfrog's Top Hospital list.
MBGH is challenging Memphis-area hosptials to have at least one hospital on this list in 2011. Let's see which hospital(s) step up and accept the challenge!!
Click here to view the video.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Memphis Medical Society Quarterly Magazine Reports on MBGH's eValue8 Project
Read the Winter 2010 edition of the Memphis Medical Society Quarterly magazine's highlights of the results of MBGH's 2009 eValue8 health plan evaluation, starting on page 8 of the pdf. Click here for an on-line copy of the magazine.
Friday, December 4, 2009
No Memphis Hospitals on Leapfrog's Top Hospital List
Click here to see the entire list of Top Hospitals.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Pennsylvania’s Public Reporting of Hospital Outcomes: A Potential Model for Improving Value
From Avalere's Evidence Based Medicine Update:
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted Pennsylvania’s twenty-year history of publishing hospital outcomes as a potential model for improving quality and lowering costs nationally. Since 1986, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) has publicly reported death and complication rates for all Pennsylvania hospitals. The state has found that high-quality treatment usually results in reduced costs manifested in shorter hospital stays and fewer readmissions. Large Pennsylvania employers, such as Hershey Co. and the Philadelphia Police Department, have used PHC4 data to offer health insurance options that steer their employees toward only the highest performing hospitals, producing significant savings. The Senate Finance Committee’s health reform bill would allocate up to $75 million annually to develop methods to improve quality, which could include published hospital outcomes. PHC4 critics claim that the data is imprecise and not comprehensive enough to account for the sickest patients who are seen primarily in academic medical centers. However, the article quotes Jon Blum, Director of the Center for Medicare Management,stating that “there is a clear understanding in the Obama administration that both Medicare and Medicaid need to move in the direction of what’s happening in Pennsylvania.” The article can be read by clicking here.
A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted Pennsylvania’s twenty-year history of publishing hospital outcomes as a potential model for improving quality and lowering costs nationally. Since 1986, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) has publicly reported death and complication rates for all Pennsylvania hospitals. The state has found that high-quality treatment usually results in reduced costs manifested in shorter hospital stays and fewer readmissions. Large Pennsylvania employers, such as Hershey Co. and the Philadelphia Police Department, have used PHC4 data to offer health insurance options that steer their employees toward only the highest performing hospitals, producing significant savings. The Senate Finance Committee’s health reform bill would allocate up to $75 million annually to develop methods to improve quality, which could include published hospital outcomes. PHC4 critics claim that the data is imprecise and not comprehensive enough to account for the sickest patients who are seen primarily in academic medical centers. However, the article quotes Jon Blum, Director of the Center for Medicare Management,stating that “there is a clear understanding in the Obama administration that both Medicare and Medicaid need to move in the direction of what’s happening in Pennsylvania.” The article can be read by clicking here.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
MBGH Releases 2009 eValue8 Report
MBGH released our 2009 eValue8 report at our Annual Conference, "Do It Yourself: Health Benefit Tools for Employers", on August 26, 2009. This year BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and CIGNA participated. Next year we will once again report on all 5 major commercial health plans in Tennessee.
This report shows that both BCBST and CIGNA made improvements in identifying and tracking members for program participation and in notifying members of needed or missed services, otherwise called gaps in care. However, there is still significant room for improvement in all of these aspects.
Although there was improvement in some aspects, it was surprising that both plans were at or below the 25th percentile on key HEDIS measures for childhood immunization, well care visits for ages 3-6, adolescent visits, and behavioral health. MBGH will be working with these plans over the next year to identify interventions to improve these HEDIS scores.
Share your thoughts on this eValue8 report and health plan performance in TN by posting comments to this blog. You can see the entire report by clicking on the link below.
2009eValue8
This report shows that both BCBST and CIGNA made improvements in identifying and tracking members for program participation and in notifying members of needed or missed services, otherwise called gaps in care. However, there is still significant room for improvement in all of these aspects.
Although there was improvement in some aspects, it was surprising that both plans were at or below the 25th percentile on key HEDIS measures for childhood immunization, well care visits for ages 3-6, adolescent visits, and behavioral health. MBGH will be working with these plans over the next year to identify interventions to improve these HEDIS scores.
Share your thoughts on this eValue8 report and health plan performance in TN by posting comments to this blog. You can see the entire report by clicking on the link below.
2009eValue8
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
A Call I Can Finally Answer
A friend of mine called last week to ask for suggestions for a cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon. Her husband’s father had been admitted to the ICU and they determined that he needed a cardiac cath and possibly surgery. She reached out to me because she knows that Memphis Business Group on Health has been collecting information on the quality and efficiency of cardiac care in Memphis since 1997. She also knew that we had worked with physicians, including cardiologists, to help them evaluate the quality of care they gave their patients and to see if they met national standards. She knew that my father had practiced medicine in Memphis for 45 years and had referred me through the years to the physicians he knew would give me good care.
In the past, all I would have had to share with her was this “insider” information. Information that was not generally available to everyone in Memphis, but information I had because of my job and because of my family. One of the well-kept secrets in health care is that insiders know who the good doctors are but that information has only been available to those "in the know".
Well, today I am excited that we are beginning to “democratize” healthcare!!! No longer do you have to be an insider to get some credible information on our local physicians. I was able to refer her to www.healthymemphis.org and tell her to scroll down and click on “Patient Experience Survey” to go to the Consumer Checkbook survey results for over 400 Memphis-area physicians, including cardiologists. These results are based on perceptions of care gathered from thousands of Memphis-area residents about their physicians. I was also able to refer her to www.NCQA.org where she could click on the link “Recognition Programs” to see the list of cardiologists in Memphis that have voluntarily submitted information for evaluation and have been recognized for the quality of care they provide.
I am glad I can finally answer a call looking for a good physician by referring a friend to credible information. I hope my friend followed-up and used this information as well as information she gathered from her father-in-law’s primary care physician and other friends and family. Having this type of information publicly available to everyone, not just health care industry insiders, is a huge step in helping make quality care available to everyone in our community. But having this information will only help if we begin to use it. So, check the sites out yourself and let me know what you think.
In the past, all I would have had to share with her was this “insider” information. Information that was not generally available to everyone in Memphis, but information I had because of my job and because of my family. One of the well-kept secrets in health care is that insiders know who the good doctors are but that information has only been available to those "in the know".
Well, today I am excited that we are beginning to “democratize” healthcare!!! No longer do you have to be an insider to get some credible information on our local physicians. I was able to refer her to www.healthymemphis.org and tell her to scroll down and click on “Patient Experience Survey” to go to the Consumer Checkbook survey results for over 400 Memphis-area physicians, including cardiologists. These results are based on perceptions of care gathered from thousands of Memphis-area residents about their physicians. I was also able to refer her to www.NCQA.org where she could click on the link “Recognition Programs” to see the list of cardiologists in Memphis that have voluntarily submitted information for evaluation and have been recognized for the quality of care they provide.
I am glad I can finally answer a call looking for a good physician by referring a friend to credible information. I hope my friend followed-up and used this information as well as information she gathered from her father-in-law’s primary care physician and other friends and family. Having this type of information publicly available to everyone, not just health care industry insiders, is a huge step in helping make quality care available to everyone in our community. But having this information will only help if we begin to use it. So, check the sites out yourself and let me know what you think.
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