External Quality Reports
There are many online sources of consumer “report cards” on healthcare quality. Those listed below are a cross section of the more well-known web sites. Be aware that data may vary from one to another. Also, data may be significantly older than that published on the submitting organization’s web site.
The Joint Commission
The Joint Commission is a private organization that has been accrediting hospitals for more than 50 years. Its accreditation is a nationwide seal of approval that indicates a hospital meets high performance standards. Their Quality Check™ web site lets you search for healthcare organizations and view and download quality reports for all Joint Commission-accredited and certified organizations. For your review is the latest Summary of Joint Commission findings and our Gold Seal of Approval.
Hospital Compare
Hospital Compare was created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health and Human Services, and other members of the Hospital Quality Alliance: Improving Care Through Information (HQA). The information on their web site comes from hospitals that have agreed to submit quality information for Hospital Compare to make public. They list dates for "Data Last Updated" and "Page Last Updated," but not the range for when the information was generated.
Nursing Home Compare
Nursing Home Compare was created by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services. The site has detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. They list dates for "Data Last Updated" and "Page Last Updated," but not the range for when the information was generated.
New York State Department of Health
The New York State Department of Health web site offers:
HealthGrades
HealthGrades rates hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and physicians. They are a commercial venture and make money by branding certain hospitals as "best" based on their own proprietary criteria and then by charging hospitals to use this brand in advertising.
myHealthFinder.com
myHealthFinder.com is home to the Official New York State Hospital Report Card (SM), a project reporting on quality of care and providing ratings for every New York State hospital on a wide array of procedures and conditions. You can view the New York hospital ratings and New York hospital quality reports free of charge. myHealthFinder.com is sponsored by the Niagara Health Quality Coalition, a not-for-profit corporation.