title: The impact of quality-reporting programs on hospital operations.
abstract: We used data from the 2005-06 Community Tracking Study site visits to examine the impact of quality reporting on hospitals' data collection and review processes, feedback and accountability mechanisms, quality improvement activities, and resource allocation. Individual hospitals participate in multiple, varied reporting programs with distinct effects on hospital operations. Reporting programs play complementary roles in encouraging quality improvement but are poorly coordinated and command sizable resources, in large part because of inadequate information technology. Policy should be directed at encouraging formal assessments of how individual and combinations of programs affect quality outcomes, and the development of adaptable information systems.
authors.affiliation: Center for Studying Health System Change, Washington, DC, USA. mpham@hschange.org
authors.forename: Hoangmai H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coughlan
authors.forename: Ann S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: O'Malley
mesh_terms: D030881:Disclosure; D005246:Feedback; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014481:United States