Examining the Quality of Hospital Care and Simulating the Impact of Several Pay-for-Performance Scoring Methods on Hospital Rankings

The researchers examined the quality of hospital care. Using patient-level data from a large sample of hospitals collected by the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), they estimated the proportion of patients receiving recommended care, created new measures of patient care quality, and simulated the impact of several pay-for-performance (P4P) scoring methods on hospital rankings. They also examined the extent to which care varies by race, ethnicity, or insurance status within and across hospitals. The objective of the study was to assist CMS, other public and private payers, and accrediting organizations in developing strategies to improve hospital performance measurement and payment methods, and, ultimately, the quality of patient care.