CMS considers adverse events disclosures
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
Medicare agency is evaluating whether it should post the incidences of hospital-acquired conditions on its Hospital Compare Web site, according to Jan. 5 memo from the HHS Office of Inspector General. "CMS contracted for the evaluation in September 2009, and will determine the extent of disclosure after findings are known," OIG said. CMS may release results from the evaluation focused on the Medicare agency's hospital-acquired conditions policy, its effects on Medicare reimbursement, utilization, quality, patient safety and unintended consequences. Because Medicare claims data lack information on causes of adverse events or prevention strategies, the agency may seek to combine it with data from other systems. The OIG memo cautions that some stakeholders are worried that public disclosure of adverse events can undermine patient privacy