Contact: Joe Martin
717-232-6787 or
PHC4 ANNUAL REPORT ON HOSPITAL PERFORMANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW IMPROVEMENT IN MORTALITY AND READMISSION RATES.
Harrisburg, PA – November 7, 2019 – A performance report of Pennsylvania hospitals shows significant statewide decreases in hospital mortality and readmission ratesâa trend that mirrors previous performance reports. Released today by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4), the annual report, known as the Hospital Performance Report, includes hospital-specific mortality and readmission ratings as well as volume of cases and hospital charges for patients discharged from Pennsylvaniaâs general acute care hospitals between October 1, 2017 and September 30, 2018 (federal fiscal year [FFY] 2018). Statewide trends are also examined.
âOnce again, this report shows statewide declines in mortality and readmission rates for a number of common treatment areas. Especially encouraging are the decreases in conditions that, traditionally, had higher mortality rates such as respiratory failure and sepsis,â said Joe Martin, PHC4âs Executive Director.
Comparing the FFY 2018 results with data from FFY 2013, the report shows significant decreases in statewide in-hospital mortality rates for 11 of the 16 conditions for which mortality ratings are reportedâfindings that translate to an estimated 5,632 lives saved in FFY 2018. Readmission rates fell in 12 of the 17 conditions for which readmission rates are reported, suggesting an estimated 3,990 readmissions avoided in these 12 treatment areas.
The 11 conditions showing significant declines in hospital mortality from FFY 2013 to FFY 2018 are:
- Respiratory Failure: 14.7% to 8.3%
- Sepsis: 12.8% to 8.7%
- Pneumonia â Aspiration: 7.4% to 5.0%
- Heart Attack â Medical Management: 8.3% to 6.8%
- Kidney Failure â Acute: 3.4% to 2.2%
- Pneumonia â Infectious: 2.5% to 1.6%
- Stroke: 3.8% to 3.0%
- Colorectal Procedures: 2.1% to 1.4%
- Heart Failure: 2.9% to 2.4%
- Intestinal Obstruction: 1.6% to 1.1%
- Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections: 0.6% to 0.4%
None of the conditions studied shows a statistically significant increase in mortality.
The 12 conditions with significant reductions in 30-day readmission rates from FFY 2013 to FFY 2018 are:
- Heart Attack â Medical Management: 20.4% to 16.7%
- Sepsis: 20.2% to 17.7%
- Stroke: 13.6% to 11.1%
- Intestinal Obstruction: 15.4% to 13.5%
- Colorectal Procedures: 14.0% to 12.3%
- Kidney Failure â Acute: 21.0% to 19.4%
- Blood Clot in Lung: 13.1% to 11.7%
- Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections: 15.8% to 14.4%
- Respiratory Failure: 24.7% to 23.5%
- Heart Attack â Angioplasty/Stent: 9.8% to 9.0%
- Abnormal Heartbeat: 13.9% to 13.1%
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): 20.5% to 19.8%
None of the conditions studied shows a statistically significant increase in the rate of readmission.
The report is available on PHC4’s website at www.phc4.org. You can also link to it through social media on Facebook and Twitter.
PHC4 is an independent state agency charged with collecting, analyzing and reporting information that can be used to improve the quality and restrain the cost of health care in Pennsylvania.
