Assignment Instructions:
1. Visit two of the following websites to compare two hospitals in your geographic area or state:
- CMS Hospital Compare
- Links to an external site.
- Medicare Care Compare
- Links to an external site.
- The Joint Commission Quality Check
- Links to an external site.
- U.S. News Best Hospitals
- Links to an external site.
2. Compare quality indicators for these two hospitals. Look specifically at:
- Patient safety metrics (e.g., fall rates, infection control)
- Core measures performance (e.g., AMI, CHF, Pneumonia, SCIP)
- HCAHPS patient satisfaction scores
- Accreditation or recognition status
3. Discuss the following in your initial post:
- What are the most significant differences between the two hospitals’ quality data?
- Based on the data, which facility appears to deliver safer or higher-quality care? Why?
- How might this information affect your decision as a nurse or a patient?
- Do you believe the general public should have easy access to this type of hospital quality information? Why or why not?