Statistical Application Essay

Uses of Statistical Information
HCS/438 Statistical Applications
Dr. Howard Rubin, Ph.D.

Uses of Statistical Information
The use of statistics in the hospital setting has in recent years become of increasing importance. Beginning in July 2007, hospitals who receive payment from Medicare for inpatient stays in the form of Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) payments must collect and submit data from a survey known as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). Failure to report publicly these results, along with other quality measures concerning customer satisfaction will result in a lower rate of payment for inpatient stays. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publish these results quarterly on a Hospital Compare website so that consumers of medical services can find information on various subjects related to hospital stays as reported by patients in those facilities. With the lower rate of payment in the event of failure to report these findings, and the public’s perception of a hospital after reviewing the results of the HCAHPS survey on the website, hospitals that fail to maintain certain standards of care could lose a great deal of money.
For this reason, the hospital where I am employed puts a great emphasis on patient satisfaction, especially in areas included in the HCAHPS survey. Although the survey includes a target amount of only 300 patients per year, the results are considered representative of the larger population of all the patients seen at the facility. The statistical data generated by HCAHPS is used by my workplace to improve many processes of care, outcomes of care, and patient experiences. We use this data to determine where our facility is lacking in these areas. Efforts are aimed at making improvements in these areas to keep our facility at least “No Different than the US