David Miranda, PhD, Center for Beneficiary Choices, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21244, (410) 786-7819, dmiranda@cms.hhs.gov and Harlan Krumholz, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 208025, New Haven, CT 06520.

This session will review the results of four interrelated studies about Medicare's efforts to publicly report comparative hospital quality information and to promote its use by consumers and health professionals to stimulate quality improvement in hospitals. The first study describes how researchers tested presentation options for comparative hospital quality data with health professionals and consumers before Medicare launched two of its hospital quality websites. The second study describes how researchers developed and pilot-tested a new survey instrument that captures patient perceptions and experiences of hospital care. The third study describes research undertaken to better understand how physicians may respond to publicly reported quality data and to patients proactively using such data. The fourth study describes initial evaluative efforts undertaken to understand the reactions of hospitals to the National Voluntary Hospital Reporting Initiative.

Learning Objectives:

• At the end of the session, participants will be able to list questions and barriers that need to be answered and addressed to successfully implement similar national efforts to publicly report quality measures.

Keywords: Quality, Consumer Direction

Related Web page: www.cms.hhs.gov

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Public Reporting of Quality Measures. Employee