Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions that have been asked about the Maryland Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us directly by selecting “We want to hear from you” at the bottom of the home page.

Q1: The Hospital Guide contains a great deal of data. What are the sources of information used in this guide?

A: The information comes from several sources:

• Information on the number of patients treated for a medical condition, how long they stayed in the hospital, and how many of them were readmitted to the hospital for the same condition comes from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) and from Washington, D.C. hospitals.
• Hospital profile information, such as licensed bed counts and neonatal intensive care unit levels, comes from the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC).
• Information on quality measures and services offered comes directly from the hospitals.
• Information on patient readmissions and transfers from Maryland hospitals to healthcare facilities in the District of Columbia comes from Washington, D.C. hospitals.

Q2: Is the information presented current?

A: Only recent information sources are used for this guide. Different information becomes available at different times from the various sources we use. The information presented here is updated at least every six months.

Q3: Can an individual patient be identified?

A: All data sources are confidential and do NOT include the names or any personal details that would allow an individual to be identified in any way.

Q4: Why aren't all medical conditions included in the guide?

A: Because we cannot provide information on every illness at this time, we chose some very common medical conditions that affect many Marylanders. By using conditions that occur more frequently, we are able to provide useful information about, and comparisons of, as many hospitals as possible.

Q5: Why are some rates reported as N/A?

A: Rates were not calculated for any quality measure having 20 or fewer cases because not enough data was available to be statistically accurate. Therefore, the rates for these quality measures are not reported.

Q6: What does it really mean if a hospital is labeled "" or "" on its readmission rates?

A: Readmission means that a patient returns to the hospital within 15 days for the same medical condition (or for an infection). Readmission might indicate a problem with the patient’s medical treatment. So a lower readmission rate is one indication of higher quality of treatment at a hospital. A rating of "" means that a hospital has readmission rates higher than 90 percent of all hospitals in Maryland. A rating of "" means that a hospital has readmission rates lower than 80 percent of all state hospitals, or no readmissions at all. Readmission rates vary widely in the state, meaning that the quality of care among hospitals can differ significantly. For a description of how readmission rates are calculated, select Technical Information on the sidebar and look in the “Utilization” section, or click here to select Technical Information.

Q7: Since hospital readmission rates are compared to other hospitals in Maryland, will at least one hospital be labeled "" or "", even if overall quality is excellent?

A: This is correct. The ratings are always relative to all other hospitals in Maryland and not against some absolute standard.

Q8: Many report cards contain information on mortality or death rate. Why doesn’t the Hospital Guide contain this information?

A: The Maryland Hospital Guide does not contain data on death rates because of problems with ensuring that this information truly reflects the care provided at a hospital. A hospital may have a higher death rate because, on average, the hospital treats more seriously ill patients. It may also specialize in care for diseases that have lower survival rates. Computer programs are being developed that attempt to calculate a death rate while considering the types of patients a hospital treats. As this information becomes more reliable, Maryland will continue to consider reporting on death rates.