Blog spotlight: How healthcare reform has already changed the way hospitals think and operate
Patient Safety Monitor Insider
June 13, 2012
In terms of better quality of care (and perception thereof by the patient), healthcare reform is still an ongoing and debated process. HCAHPS and 30-day readmissions for certain conditions are already linked to reimbursement. Hospitals now publicly report all types of data to Hospital Compare, to the chagrin of many.
Quality of care is tied to reimbursement; we know what’s implemented, we know what’s coming, and we know it’s hotly debated. Should patient surveys determine reimbursement, considering surveys are inherently subjective (and perception easily manipulated)? We know one poor customer service—not clinical care—related incident might lead a post-discharge patient to rate a hospital badly. Should this count as much as it does? Should readmissions be tied to reimbursement, considering hospitals face incredibly different challenges throughout the nation? Is this a good idea?
