Top 5 hospital performance metrics

Hospital performance assessment is complicated, and parsing through the vast quantity of financial, clinical, and quality data can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of metrics for administrators to track, and every hospital has unique performance goals. While some prioritize financial performance, others may seek to improve clinical outcomes.

Effective performance tracking and data analysis can strengthen a facility’s financial performance, improve clinical outcomes, and raise quality scores. We’ve outlined 5 of the most essential hospital performance metrics below.

1. Length of stay

In 2017 Massachusetts General Hospital reported having an average length of stay of 6.34 days. This data is important because it provides insight on a hospital’s care efficiency. If a patient has a lengthy stay, they are at risk of hospital-acquired infections.

2. Readmission rates

Readmission rates is an important metric because it measures the quality of care patient receive. The higher a readmission rate, the lower level of care and attention a patient receives. It is reported that Harlan ARH Hospital has the highest all-cause readmission rates at 21.3%.

3. HCAHPS

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems measures 64 markers of patient satisfaction. According to DHC data, less than4% of hospitals achieve a rating of 5 stars (best possible score).

4. Mortality rates

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the national average patient mortality rate is 2%. Of that 2%, about 25% were 85 years old. This metric is important because it is a strong indicator of providers’ ability to stabilize patients after a procedure.

5. Bed utilization rate

Balancing bed availability can be difficult. If occupancy is too low, the hospital is likely losing money through unnecessary staffing. If occupancy is too high, care quality could decline because there aren’t enough clinicians.

Read the full top 10 list on our blog: Top 10 hospital performance metrics you need to know.

Learn more

Looking for more information on how you can leverage hospital performance metrics? Request a free trial to access Definitive Healthcare’s comprehensive platform of hospitals & IDNs. With Definitive Healthcare, you can:

• Identify ideal targets using financial, clinical, and patient population metrics
• Segment your market by region using CBSA, state, or zip codes
• Analyze quality measures to understand a facility’s care quality and potential pain points
• Understand affiliations and network hierarchies between care centers