Related Experiment Videos
State experience with Medicare hospital mortality: how does New York State compare?
J Feinglass1, L Manheim, S Shortell
1Center for Health Services and Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, Il 60208.
New York State Journal of Medicine
|January 1, 1993
Summary
New York hospitals showed lower Medicare patient mortality rates than the national average in 1987. This suggests that the state
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Policy
- Hospital Management
- Public Health
Background:
- Medicare hospital mortality statistics provide insights into healthcare quality.
- New York State has historically implemented extensive hospital regulations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare Medicare hospital mortality rates in New York State with those in other states.
- To assess the impact of New York's hospital regulations on patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of covariance was used to compare 1987 Medicare mortality data for 255 New York hospitals against 4,617 hospitals nationwide.
- Mortality rates were risk-adjusted for expected mortality, hospital bed size, and major teaching status.
Main Results:
- New York hospitals exhibited a statistically significant lower average 30-day post-admission Medicare mortality rate (-0.43 percentage points) compared to other states (p < 0.0001).
- This finding was observed after adjusting for key patient and hospital characteristics.
Conclusions:
- The study indicates that New York's stringent hospital regulations did not lead to worse Medicare patient outcomes.
- While quality of care is complex, these results challenge assumptions about the negative impact of regulation on healthcare quality.