Fierce Healthcare writes of a new study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, has found that publicizing hospitals’ mortality rates doesn’t move the needle on care outcomes. Researchers analyzed data publicly reported by hospitals on their care processes for one or more condition under the Hospital Compare program. Based on their analysis, they found no improvement in 30-day mortality rates even as the program took hold. Changes in mortality rates, they wrote, suggest public reporting may in fact have slowed the ongoing drop in mortality rates among Medicare beneficiaries rather than improved them.
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