How IPPS Proposed Rules Would Affect Quality Measures

1. Amendments to the HCAHPS survey related to preventing readmissions.
On Jan. 1, 2013, three questions measuring how well hospitals informed patients on how to manage their conditions after their discharge, a high CMS priority to prevent costly readmissions, would be added to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey list for payments as of Oct. 1, 2014 or FY 2015.

To all these discharge planning questions, patients can answer that they strongly disagree, disagree, agree, or strongly agree.

• "During this hospital stay, staff took my preferences and those of my family or caregiver into account in deciding what my health care needs would be when I left."
• "When I left the hospital, I had a good understanding of the things I was responsible for in managing my health." 
• "When I left the hospital, I clearly understood the purpose for taking each of my medications."  For this third question, a respondent has another answer option: "I was not given any medication when I left the hospital."

Two new questions would ask how the patient came to the hospital, and about the patient's mental or emotional health status. The answers would not be publicly reported, but could help CMS risk adjust the responses for validity.

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