Using the Hospital Compare tool on Medicare.gov, obtain benchmarking data on several health care facilities.

Introduction

Benchmarking is a tool for measurement as well as quality improvement. It is the process of comparing performance as a strategy to identify improvement opportunities. In this assessment, you will use an online tool called Hospitals Compare to see how various health care facilities compare to national benchmarks, then summarize your findings.

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Interpret health care data.
  • Interpret statistical data to reveal the types of information it provides.
  • Analyze the implications of benchmark and comparative data.
• Competency 4: Apply statistical strategies to analyze health care data.
  • Describe the use of benchmark and comparative data.
  • Explain the statistical data that allow for comparative measures.
  • Identify users of benchmarking data.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a professional manner to support health care data analytics.
  • Create a clear, well-organized, professional document that is generally free of errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
    Follow APA style and formatting guidelines for citations and references.

Preparation

Vila Health wants to compare its performance to that of nearby facilities. As a Vila Health data analyst, you are responsible for accessing local hospitals’ benchmarking data and reporting your findings. To prepare for this assessment:

• Access:
  • Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Hospital compare. Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/search.ht…
• Perform the following:
  • Enter your zip code under Find a hospital; click Search. This will provide you with a list of health care facilities within your zip code.
  • Select Add to Compare under Hospital Search Results for at least two facilities.
  • Click Compare Now.
  • Select one of the tabs at the top such as Survey of Patients’ Experiences or Complications & Deaths.
  • Select one of the categories from the drop-down menu.
    • If you cannot see the graphs, select Show Graphs.
  • Examine the resulting output to understand the data.

After examining the benchmarking data, you will perform the comparisons and summarize your findings about the data in a memo to the health information management director.

Instructions

In a 3–4 page memo to your Vila Health HIM director, include the following headings and address the questions following each heading at a minimum:

• Benchmark and Comparative Data
  • How can Vila Health use this specific type of benchmark and comparative data?
• Statistical Data Allowing for Comparative Measures
  • Which kinds of statistical data allow for comparative measures? For example, consider mean and median.
  • What examples can you provide from your Compare Hospitals results to support your points?
• Interpretation of Results
  • What types of information can Vila Health glean from these comparative measures?
  • What examples can you provide from your Hospital Compare results that support your interpretations?
  • Knowing that your director responds well to charts, graphs, and other visuals, how can you convey this information graphically?
• Users of Benchmarking Data
  • Who are the potential users of this benchmarking data at Vila Health?
• Data Implications
  • What are the implications of the data you have collected for Vila Health?
  • Assuming that these facilities are competitors with Vila Health, in what areas could excellent patient service give a competitive advantage to Vila Health?

Additional Requirements

• Length: 3–4 double-spaced pages, including at least three supporting visual elements such as charts or graphs.
• Font: Use Times New Roman, 12 points for body of memo.
• APA format: Use APA formatting and style guidelines for citations and references.
• Writing: Create a clear, well-organized, and professional document that is generally free from errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

SCORING GUIDE

Use the scoring guide to understand how your assessment will be evaluated.VIEW SCORING GUIDE