A study by Truven Health Analytics found that the top-performing multi-hospital health systems in the U.S. achieved higher survival rates and fewer errors at a lower overall treatment cost.
Truven Health, a healthcare data and analytics solutions vendor recently acquired by IBM, announced this week the results of its study to identify top-performing health systems for its eighth annual 15 Top Health Systems list.
According to the study results, the company identified top health systems based on balanced, system-wide clinical and administrative performance and found that winning health systems have driven significant reductions in mortality, complications and emergency department (ED) wait times.
Specifically, overall mortality rates were 14.7 percent lower for winning health systems versus non-winning peer group hospitals; complication rates were 15.1 percent lower; and ED wait times were 12.3 percent lower, according to a Truven Health announcement.
“These 15 top-performing health systems prove that quality and efficiency can improve across entire systems, regardless of their size,” Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Truven Health Analytics, said in a statement. "It is clear from our data that many hospital systems have been able to implement a consistent, coordinated approach to quality improvement in the areas that matter most to patients and that is scalable across member hospitals.”
Additional winning health system performance metrics include:
* Lower Cost Per Episode: The 15 Top Health System winners spent 5 percent less per care episode than non-winning peer systems.
* Shorter Hospital Stays: The 15 Top Health System winners discharged patients from the hospital a half-day sooner than non-winners.
* Higher Patient Satisfaction Scores: Winning 15 health systems attained average Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores that were 7 percentage points higher than non-winning peers.
According to the Truven Health announcement, the 2016 15 Top Health Systems study evaluated 338 health systems and 2,912 member hospitals to identify the 15 U.S. health systems with the highest overall achievement on a balanced scorecard. The scorecard is based on the 100 Top Hospitals national balanced scorecard methodologies and focuses on five performance domains: inpatient outcomes, process of care, extended outcomes, efficiency, and patient experience. The study relied on public data from the 2013 and 2014 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) data, CMS Hospital Compare datasets, and 2014 Medicare cost reports.
The Truven Health 15 Top Health Systems, categorized by health system size, are:
Large Health Systems (operating expense > $1.75 billion)
Mayo Foundation – Rochester, MN
Mercy – Chesterfield, MO
Spectrum Health – Grand Rapids, MI
Sutter Health – Sacramento, CA
Sutter Health Valley Division – Sacramento, CA
Medium Health Systems (operating expense $750 million – $1.75 billion)
Kettering Health Network – Dayton, OH
Scripps Health – San Diego, CA
St. Luke's Health System – Boise, ID
St. Vincent Health – Indianapolis, IN
TriHealth – Cincinnati, OH
Small Health Systems (operating expense < $750 million)
Asante – Medford, OR
Lovelace Health System – Albuquerque, NM
MidMichigan Health – Midland, MI
Roper St. Francis Healthcare – Charleston, SC
Tanner Health System – Carrollton, GA
