CMS adds star ratings to Dialysis Facility Compare

Jan 22, 2015 - 06:12 PM

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today added star ratings to the Dialysis Facility Compare website, which are based on nine of the 11 quality measures reported on the website in 2014. The website no longer includes the measures for URR dialysis adequacy and Hemoglobin greater than 12 g/dL, because more than 99% of all patients achieve the thresholds set for these measures. CMS will continue to provide data on the hemoglobin measure at data.medicare.gov. Among other changes, the Standardized Readmission Ratio measure has been added to the website, but will not be included in the star ratings at this time. To receive a star rating, CMS must have collected data from a facility for at least one measure in each domain. Pediatric facilities are not currently rated due to lack of sufficient data for one or more measures. CMS plans to charge a technical expert panel with evaluating the star rating scoring methodology and measures and recommending potential changes for the future. Questions or comments about the new star ratings may be emailed to dialysisdata@umich.edu, Elena Balovlenkov at Elena.Balovlenkov@cms.hhs.gov or Joel Andress at Joel.Andress@cms.hhs.gov. For more information, see the CMS factsheet. 

Related News Articles

Headline
FDA issues serious recall for electric wheelchair joysticks
The Food and Drug Administration has identified a Class I recall for Mo-Vis BVBA R-net Joysticks due to a firmware error that causes the wheelchair to ignore…
Headline
FDA recalls certain coaxial breathing sets, resuscitators, other products
The Food and Drug Administration has identified Class I recalls for the following products due to the potential for serious injury or death:Certain lots of…
Headline
AHA podcast: HCA’s AI-Driven Patient Safety Evolution, Part 1
Randy Fagin, M.D., chief quality officer at HCA Healthcare, shares insights into the organization’s bold approach to improving safety outcomes. From piloting…
Headline
AHA shares concerns to CMS on CY 2026 home health PPS rule
The AHA Aug. 28 expressed concerns to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on the calendar year 2026 home health prospective payment system…
Headline
AHA blog highlights Quest for Quality Prize, health systems leading in quality and safety
The AHA Quest for Quality Prize honors hospitals and health systems committed to leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health. Learn how…
Headline
Weather threats to drug production facilities examined in study
A JAMA study published Aug. 20 found that nearly 63% of all U.S. drug production facilities from 2019 through 2024 were in counties where a weather disaster…