Comparing hospitals on their outcomes is difficult because different hospitals treat different types of patients. Some hospitals treat patients who are older or sicker than those at other hospitals. A technique called risk-adjustment accounts for these differences in patient characteristics.
Outcomes are one component of health care quality.
Risk-adjusted outcomes studies provide important and valuable indicators of quality. Hospitals and providers use the studies in their continuing efforts to improve the quality of care they provide. Purchasers, plans and consumers use the information in making informed decisions regarding the choice of providers of health care. We are continually refining and improving the project to make it more relevant and useful to health care purchasers, health plans, consumers, and providers.