Comments on: Publish First; Then Prosper or Perish http://healthblog.ncpa.org/publish-first-then-prosper-or-perish/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Fri, 25 May 2012 03:28:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Linda Gorman http://healthblog.ncpa.org/publish-first-then-prosper-or-perish/comment-page-1/#comment-47237 Linda Gorman Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:58:01 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=6075#comment-47237 In hospital mortality is not necessarily a good indicator of health outcomes. It is a fairly rare event, and quicker but sicker discharge means that one must consider post-discharge mortality, disability status, and readmission rates to get a good picture of what is going on. For example, a 2008 paper by Aujesky et al. looked at length of stay for patients with pulmonary embolism in Pennsylvania in 2000 to 2002. They found that "Patients with a very short LOS [length of stay in hospital] had greater postdischarge mortality relative to patients with typical LOS..." Also, they found that "the odds of discharge decreased notably with greater patient severity of illness and in patients without private health insurance." In hospital mortality is not necessarily a good indicator of health outcomes. It is a fairly rare event, and quicker but sicker discharge means that one must consider post-discharge mortality, disability status, and readmission rates to get a good picture of what is going on.

For example, a 2008 paper by Aujesky et al. looked at length of stay for patients with pulmonary embolism in Pennsylvania in 2000 to 2002. They found that “Patients with a very short LOS [length of stay in hospital] had greater postdischarge mortality relative to patients with typical LOS…” Also, they found that “the odds of discharge decreased notably with greater patient severity of illness and in patients without private health insurance.”

]]> By: Ken http://healthblog.ncpa.org/publish-first-then-prosper-or-perish/comment-page-1/#comment-47231 Ken Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:14:30 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=6075#comment-47231 Once bad results are made public, the hospitals with the bad reports tend to be embarrassed and they clean up their act -- at least partially. Once bad results are made public, the hospitals with the bad reports tend to be embarrassed and they clean up their act — at least partially.

]]> By: Brian W. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/publish-first-then-prosper-or-perish/comment-page-1/#comment-47230 Brian W. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:06:11 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=6075#comment-47230 Good information like this is important to educate consumers, improve commerce, drive innovation, and ultimately to defend democracy. Lack of information retards innovation, harms commerce, and usually ends up in some sort of government takeover (in the guise of consumer protection). Good post! Good information like this is important to educate consumers, improve commerce, drive innovation, and ultimately to defend democracy.

Lack of information retards innovation, harms commerce, and usually ends up in some sort of government takeover (in the guise of consumer protection).

Good post!

]]> By: Joe S. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/publish-first-then-prosper-or-perish/comment-page-1/#comment-47227 Joe S. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:38:54 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=6075#comment-47227 Interesting. I've heard this before. Interesting. I’ve heard this before.

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