News for Immediate Release
December 12, 2024
Harrisburg – The 2023 Hospital Performance Report (HPR), produced by PHC4, provides information about the performance of Pennsylvania hospitals for 17 common medical conditions.
Reported are hospital-specific mortality and 30-day readmission ratings, as well as volume of cases and hospital charges for patients discharged from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, which is federal fiscal year (FFY) 2023. The HPR now provides this data by facility as well as medical condition, while also examining changes in statewide rates across time. Barry D. Buckingham, PHC4’s Executive Director, stated, “We know the value this report provides. To further its reach, we added this new feature, which shows all the results for a single hospital on one page. This change empowers various stakeholders, serving PHC4’s mission to provide support to all Pennsylvanians.” Buckingham added the continued evolution of PHC4’s reporting is part of a larger initiative at the organization.
Notably, amongst the data reported, statewide in-hospital mortality rates showed a statistically significant increase from FFY 2018 to FFY 2023 in eight of the 16 conditions for which mortality rates were reported. The largest increase was in Sepsis, where the mortality rate increased from 8.7% in FFY 2018 to 10.3% in FFY 2023. It is also reported that statewide 30-day readmission rates showed a statistically significant decrease from FFY 2018 to FFY 2023 in seven of the 17 conditions for which readmission rates were reported. The largest decrease was in Chest Pain, where the readmission rate decreased from 13.8% in FFY 2018 to 11.3% in FFY 2023. The readmission rate increased in one condition, Blood Clot in Lung, from 11.7% to 13.0%. The chart below displays the in-hospital mortality rates.
PHC4 is an independent council formed under Pennsylvania statute (Act 89 of 1986, as amended by Act 15 of 2020) in order to address rapidly growing health care costs. PHC4 continues to produce comparative information about the most efficient and effective health care to individual consumers and group purchasers of health services. In addition, PHC4 produces information used to identify opportunities to contain costs and improve the quality of care delivered.
For more information, visit phc4.org or review the full report here.
Media contact:
Barry D. Buckingham, Executive Director, PHC4
