United Memorial's Commitment to Quality
United Memorial is committed to providing the highest quality care to our patients. One way in which you may determine where to receive hospital services is through the various “report cards” available to you online, including the United States Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare report. This report lists specific “indicators” of hospital quality and allows you to compare the results of up to three hospitals at once. United Memorial is constantly looking at this data, as well as many other types of quality data to identify opportunities for improvement as it strives for excellence in patient care.
To help you understand how to read these quality graphs, below are some common questions and answers.
FAQs
Q: Why does United Memorial publicly report this kind of quality information?
A: One way in which UMMC demonstrates its commitment to quality improvement is by submitting information to Hospital Compare. We feel the more information patients have to make choices about where to receive care, the better. Of course, the best information comes from your own doctor. This information is one way for you to begin gathering information to have those conversations with your own doctor. When you reach the Hospital Compare website, you should input "United Memorial Medical Center - New York - Update" to select our hospital's information.
Q: What are the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare quality indicators?
A: The indicators or “process of care measures” are medical information from patient records converted into a rate of percentage that shows how well hospitals care for their patients. Process of care measures gives you information about how well a hospital provides care for “some” but not “all” their patients. You can use this quality information to help you compare hospitals. The indicators include:
• Five measures related to surgical infection prevention
• Four measures related to heart failure care
• Seven measures related to pneumonia care
• Eight measures related to heart attack care
Q: Why are these indicators important?
A: These indicators are the most common areas of treatment for patients in a hospital. The measures are important because they are the best way to show how well a hospital is caring for these types of conditions. They are based on scientific research and best practices for caring for these types of patients.
Q: Is it possible for me to view United Memorial’s patient satisfaction survey results?
A: You now may compare hospital's patient satisfaction survey results using Hospital Compare. Called HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), the survey asks patients about their experiences with medical, surgical or maternity care during a recent overnight stay in the hospital. All hospital use the same survey questionnaire and standardized data collection procedures so you are able to accurately compare hospitals. United Memorial's data appears at the Hospital Campare site (www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov).