Study: HAC Reduction Program may not accurately measure hospital quality

Jul 30, 2015 - 03:39 PM

Hospitals with structural characteristics reflecting volume, accreditations and advanced services tend to perform better than others on publicly reported quality measures but are penalized significantly in the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. “These findings suggest that penalization in the HAC program may not reflect poor quality of care, but rather, these findings may be due to measurement and validity issues of the HAC program component measures,” the authors said.

Related News Articles

Headline
Measles cases surpass 1,100
There have been 1,168 confirmed cases of measles across 33 states as of June 6 this year, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and…
Headline
FDA doesn’t appeal court ruling invalidating lab-developed tests rule, effectively eliminating it
A 60-day appeal window has passed for the Food and Drug Administration to appeal a federal court ruling that invalidated its final rule to regulate laboratory-…
Headline
MMR vaccination rates declined 78% since 2019, study finds
A JAMA study published June 3 found that of 2,237 counties across the U.S., 78% reported declines in vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella from 2019…
Headline
U.S. at 1,024 measles cases
There have been 1,024 confirmed cases of measles across the U.S. so far in 2025, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and…
Headline
AHA makes 100 suggestions to Trump administration on providing regulatory relief 
The AHA May 12 responded to the Office of Management and Budget's April 11 request for information on regulatory relief, making 100 suggestions to the Trump…
Headline
U.S. surpasses 1,000 measles cases 
There have been 1,001 confirmed cases of measles across the U.S. so far in 2025, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and…