Heathcare statistic | Nursing homework help
Introduction
The health care industry is a complex and dynamic system that requires continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure that it provides high-quality care to patients. One way that health care managers can evaluate the performance of their facilities is by analyzing health care statistics. In this paper, we will discuss the hospital-acquired condition (HAC) statistic, including the reasons for collecting data, the source of the data presented, the types of descriptive statistics and graphical representations used, the research questions, significant findings, and how the information presented can inform decisions or improvements.
Reasons for Collecting Data
The hospital-acquired condition (HAC) statistic is a measure of the adverse events that patients experience while receiving care in a hospital. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the HAC Reduction Program in 2014 as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to reduce the number of preventable HACs. The program aims to incentivize hospitals to reduce their HAC rates by withholding a percentage of Medicare payments to hospitals that perform poorly in comparison to other hospitals. The HAC Reduction Program includes the following HACs:
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI)
- Surgical site infections (SSI) after certain elective procedures
- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia
- Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)
- Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI)
- Hospital-acquired falls and trauma (HAF)
The source of the data presented
The data presented on the HAC statistic comes from the Hospital Compare website, which is maintained by CMS. The website provides information on the quality of care provided by hospitals in the United States. Hospitals submit data on their HAC rates to CMS, which then publicly reports the information on the website. The website also includes information on other quality measures such as readmissions, mortality rates, and patient experience.
Types of Descriptive Statistics and Graphical Representations Used
Descriptive statistics are used to summarize the HAC data reported on the Hospital Compare website. These statistics include measures such as mean, median, range, and standard deviation. Graphical representations of data are also used to display the HAC rates for individual hospitals and to compare them to the national average. Bar charts and scatterplots are commonly used to represent the data.
Research Questions and Significant Findings
The research question that the HAC statistic seeks to answer is how frequently patients experience adverse events while receiving care in a hospital. The significant findings from the HAC Reduction Program show that the rate of HACs has decreased since the program’s implementation in 2014. For example, the rate of CAUTI decreased by 14%, and the rate of CLABSI decreased by 21% from 2014 to 2019. However, the rates of some HACs such as CDI have remained stable or increased slightly.
The HAC statistic can also be used to compare the performance of individual hospitals to the national average. For example, the Hospital Compare website provides a scorecard for each hospital that shows their HAC rate in comparison to the national average. Hospitals that perform worse than the national average may be subject to penalties under the HAC Reduction Program.
How the Information Presented Can Inform Decisions or Improvements
The information presented on the HAC statistic can inform decisions and improvements in several ways. First, it can help hospitals identify areas where they need to improve their quality of care. For example, if a hospital has a high rate of CAUTI, it may need to implement better protocols for catheter insertion and maintenance.
Second, the information presented on the HAC statistic can be used to evaluate the