NUR445 Hospital Comparison

Learning Goal: I’m working on a nursing presentation and need support to help me learn.

Assignment: Hospital Compare

Learning Objectives

• Assess the quality ranking of two hospitals in your area.
• Evaluate the connections between quality rankings and patient outcomes
• Analyze a quality improvement strategy based on evidence

Assignment Instructions

This assignment will familiarize capstone students with quality ranking systems currently in use for hospitals and the measures that are used to determine quality.

STEP 1

Access the Hospital Compare website at https://www.medicare.gov/hospitalcompare/, and enter your home zip code in the search box. Select two hospitals to compare, preferably with different star ratings. If you are currently employed at a hospital, select your workplace for one of the locations. Review information under all tabs.

STEP 2

Select one outcome quality measure focused on a change in health status (i.e. 30-day death rates), one process quality measure focused on the steps of a process (i.e. Patients who reported that staff “always” explained about medicines before giving them) and one patient satisfaction measure ( i.e. Patients who reported YES, they would definitely recommend the hospital).

Compare and contrast the two hospitals based on these three measures. Based on your knowledge of local needs, concerns and preferences select ONE of these measures that you believe would be the most important the local community.

Research peer-reviewed nursing or hospital administration journals for strategies that has been utilized to improve quality related to the ONE selected measure. For instance, if you selected a patient satisfaction measure, you can research strategies for improving satisfaction in any hospital unit or service. Select one strategy that you feel would be most effective. Analyze the strategy, for this hospital in its community for the following:

• Feasibility
• Efficacy
• Stakeholders (a person with an interest or concern in the measure; those who are critical for change to occur). Individuals should be identified by general job titles and not named

STEP 3

Create a 6-8 slide PowerPoint presentation Include the following in the PowerPoint:

Title slide

Introduction: Community demographics, data on hospitals selected (i.e. Size, trauma designation, urban/rural location)

Selected measure: Outline the quality measure that you select as most important to the local community, and the hospital selected to implement it. Provide your rationale

Research: Present strategy and analyze for

Feasibility

Efficacy

Stakeholders

Reference slide

 

STEP 4

Consider your preceptor to be the Director of Nursing for the selected hospital. Present your review and evidence to your preceptor in a zoom meeting. Make the case for why the hospital should consider using the strategy. Determine which stakeholders should be included on a committee to decide if the strategy should be implemented.