Consumer Guide to Understanding the Hospital-Specific Quality Reports

The hospital-specific reports published here show how New York State hospitals performed in calendar year 2007, based on indicators of hospital quality developed by the federal government.

Many factors affect the selection of a hospital, and these quality indicators are only one source of information to consider. Other factors that may affect your selection of a hospital include what your health plan covers, convenience, where your doctor practices and recommendations from family and friends. You can use this information to talk with your doctor and hospital, and take a more active role in making health care decisions.

For this report, AQHC used a widely accepted definition of quality care: "The degree to which health services for individuals and populations increases the likelihood of desired health outcomes and are consistent with current professional knowledge." In other words, quality care meets the needs of the patient and is based on evidence of effectiveness. The performance of the hospitals in this report as suggested by the quality indicators may reflect whether the care ordered by a physician and delivered at a given hospital was consistent with standards of care. However, it also may reflect factors that do not relate to hospital performance, such as patient or physician preference, stage of illness, age, other accompanying illnesses or conditions, or the availability of specialized equipment or doctors. While the data analysis method attempts to adjust for many of these factors, it is not possible to do so perfectly.

You should remember that doctors direct and oversee the medical care that is delivered at hospitals, and prescribe tests, medications and treatments. This report does not separate the effect of the doctor from the effect of the hospital. The quality of care provided in a hospital comes from how well its doctors, nurses, support staff and management work together as well as the technology and other resources available in the facility. If a major change occurs that impacts any of these - such as the departure of a key surgeon or the addition of new technology - the indicators may change dramatically and rapidly. As you talk with your doctor and hospital about your care, ask questions about what changes, if any, have occurred that could impact the care you receive. Medical practice and standards of care change over time as new technology and medicines become available, and as research studies demonstrate effectiveness of specific treatments or procedures. The AQHC data will be particularly valuable to look at hospital performance trends over time.