Employers Health encourages people to research hospital quality, and has developed comparison tools. The final edition of A Consumer Guide to Ohio Hospital Quality was published in 2009. With the development of the Ohio Department of Health’s Web-based Hospital Compare tool, the Consumer Guide is no longer needed. A representative from Employers Health was appointed to the Ohio governor’s 17-member committee to develop a Web site where Ohio consumers can get public information about all hospitals in the state. Employers Health remains committed to quality care and endorses the new comparison tool, found at the Ohio Department of Health’s Web site, www.odh.ohio.gov.
On this site, users can compare hospital quality on 100 factors of care in 12 categories:
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children's asthma care
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heart attack care
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heart failure care
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heart surgery
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hospital-acquired infections
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infection-prevention measures
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patient safety
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patient satisfaction
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pneumonia care
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pregnancy/delivery
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stroke care
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surgical care
All hospitals – except state-owned facilities, veterans' hospitals and long-term acute-care facilities – are required by law to submit updated data every six months.