Canadian Institute for Health Information data show hospitals improving on mortality rates

New hospital standardized mortality ratios (HSMRs) for 2010–2011 released  for eligible hospitals and health regions across Canada by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The HSMR is a quality of care measure that allows Canadian hospitals to assess their mortality rates over time and identify areas for improvement. The data released includes seven years of HSMR results (from 2004–2005 to 2010–2011) for 75 large acute care hospitals across Canada, excluding Quebec. The HSMR compares the number of deaths in a hospital with the national average experience, after adjusting for differences in the types of patients a hospital sees. CIHI data shows that in 2010–2011, HSMRs decreased significantly for more than 10% of acute care hospitals over the previous year; since 2004–2005, there has been a significant decrease for more than half (53%) of Canadian facilities. In comparison, over the past seven years, results have remained about the same for 44% of hospitals and significantly increased for 3% of facilities.  Read more.