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Death Rate for Pneumonia Patients
What are we measuring and why?
Patient survival can be an important indication of the quality of a hospital’s care and its effect on patient outcomes. Aspects of an inpatient stay, such as the safety and timeliness of care, can play a major role in patients’ wellbeing and likelihood of recovery.
How are we doing and how do we compare to best practice?
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) measures patient survival within several complex patient populations, including pneumonia. Its rates reflect Medicare beneficiaries who died within 30 days of hospital admission (either while hospitalized or after discharge), excluding patients who left the hospital against medical advice. The cause of death may not relate to the original reason for the patient’s stay. To accurately compare results, CMS risk-adjusts hospital performance to account for factors that influence patient survival, such as age and medical history. Between July 2014 and June 2017, MGH’s mortality rate for pneumonia patients (12.7%) was statistically better than the national benchmark (15.7%). Please note that the measurement specifications are updated periodically, which can make it difficult to compare performance across reporting periods.
- Current Scores
- Scores Over Time
MGH Source: Administrative claims data
Comparison Group Source: CMS Hospital Compare
MGH: Jul 14-Jun 17CMS: Jul 14-Jun 17
MGH Source: Administrative claims data
Comparison Group Source: CMS Hospital Compare