Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating Methodology Overview

This document is a technical report detailing the Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating methodology as utilized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). It outlines the eligibility criteria for hospitals to participate in the rating system, including the requirement to report data through various quality reporting programs. The report explains the methodology used to calculate the star ratings, which is based on a subset of measures available on the CMS Care Compare website. It also discusses the grouping of measures by type and the weights assigned to different measure groups such as mortality, safety of care, and patient experience. The document notes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection and the implications for rural hospitals, highlighting concerns regarding the comparability of ratings and the inclusion of relevant measures for small rural hospitals. Additionally, it addresses the peer grouping approach used to ensure fair comparisons among hospitals with differing characteristics.