Rolling down the runway: the challenges ahead for quality report cards

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Measurement
• Health Services Research
• Public Health Reporting

Background:

• Increasing public release of hospital and health plan performance reports for provider comparison.
• Past impediments included a lack of quality indicators and feasible data collection methods.
• Significant progress has been made in developing quality indicators and data collection strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accomplishments and challenges of public quality reporting in healthcare.
• To identify current barriers to the effective use of quality report cards.
• To explore strategies for improving the reporting and utilization of healthcare quality data.

Main Methods:

• Review of experience with public quality reporting over recent years.
• Assessment of advancements in quality indicators and data collection (e.g., Health Employer Data and Information Set - HEDIS).
• Analysis of challenges related to data reporting and utilization.

Main Results:

• Hundreds of health plans now routinely report standardized quality data.
• Key challenges have shifted from data availability to effective data reporting and usage.
• Need for consensus on reporting individual physician data and leveraging diverse data collection methods.

Conclusions:

• Public quality reporting has advanced significantly, overcoming initial data collection hurdles.
• Current challenges necessitate better strategies for data presentation and utilization.
• Improved quality reporting is crucial for empowering purchasers and consumers to enhance healthcare quality.