Healthcare Quality - Washington State Department of Health

There are various organizations that compile reports of hospital quality around the country. Hospitals can voluntarily submit performance information to these organizations. These organizations make information available electronically so the public can learn about and compare quality of hospitals in their area.

While the information included in the tools below can help you understand a hospital's performance on several safety and quality measures, this information should be considered alongside other factors. You can talk to your healthcare provider and local hospital staff about what this information means and how it can be used to make healthcare decisions.

• Hospital Compare is a tool maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Use this tool to learn about how well hospitals care for patients and to compare hospitals in your area.
• Nursing Home Compare has detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home in the country.A nursing home is a place for people who can't be cared for at home and need 24-hour nursing care.
• The Leapfrog Hospital Survey presents information that hospitals voluntarily report to The Leapfrog Group. Use this tool to learn about and compare hospitals' performance on specific safety and quality practices. Measures reported in the Leapfrog Hospital Survey include surgical quality and costs, care quality and costs, quality of care, and overall patient safety ratings.
• WA Hospital Quality was developed by the Washington State Hospital Association using data that is reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), and the Washington State Hospital Association.
  The available data include important measures of health in the hospital setting, including infection rates, emergency room response times, patient satisfaction, and more.
• Healthcare Licensing Verification and Complaints is part of the Washington State Department of Health's Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA) Division. HSQA regulates and supports more than 463,000 health professionals in 83 health professions, and 11,000 health groups and programs.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) helps frontline clinicians and other healthcare staff prevent HAIs by improving how care is actually delivered to patients.
• National Quality Forum (NQF) evaluates and endorses tools for standardized performance measurement to ensure practitioners and provider organizations are held accountable for the quality and efficiency of their performance.
• Washington Patient Safety Coalition (WPSC) collaborates with patient safety leaders across the state and the nation, sharing the latest developments and best practices to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors.