Commentaries

Invited commentaries on subjects related to performance measurement and improvement.

Commentary
Transparency and Public Reporting Are Essential for a Safe Health Care System
Lucian L. Leape, M.D., asks: What will it take to motivate hospitals to do what we know works to make health care safer? Of the three major approaches to improving patient safety—regulation/accreditation, financial incentives, and public reporting—the most promising is public reporting of performance information and feedback to providers. Transparency is an idea whose time has come and both hospitals and the public will be better off because of it.  — View Commentary
Commentary
Understanding CMS Readmission Data and Putting it to Use for Quality Improvement
Stephen F. Jencks, M.D., M.P.H., explains his views on CMS readmission data--and how to interpret them for effective quality improvement..  — View Commentary
October 2013 CMS Hospital Compare Update Cancelled