Accelerating Improvement and Narrowing Gaps: Trends in Patients' Experiences with Hospital Care Reflected in HCAHPS Public Reporting.

Objective: Measure HCAHPS improvement in hospitals participating in the second and fifth years of HCAHPS public reporting; determine whether change is greater for some hospital types.

Data: Surveys from 4,822,960 adult inpatients discharged July 2007-June 2008 or July 2010-June 2011 from 3,541 U.S.

Disparity in outcomes for adult Native American hemodialysis patients? Findings from the ESRD Clinical Performance Measures Project, 1996 to 1999.

Background: There is a paucity of information regarding the quality of care for Native American hemodialysis patients. Outcomes, including 1-year hospitalization and mortality, for adult Native American in-center hemodialysis patients selected for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) Project were compared to those for white and black patients to determine if disparity in care existed for this group.

Methods: Clinical data were abstracted from medical records for the last quarters of 1995 to 1998 and linked to United States Renal Data System (USRDS) data files for data on comorbidities and 1-year hospitalization and mortality.

Anemia in pediatric hemodialysis patients: results from the 2001 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures Project.

Background: Despite improvements in dialysis care, anemia remains a problem in pediatric hemodialysis patients.

Methods: To assess possible explanations for the anemia, clinical data were obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on all hemodialysis patients ages 12 to <18 years between October and December 2000. Complete data were available for 435 of the 516 patients (84%).

Differences in intermediate outcomes for Asian and non-Asian adult hemodialysis patients in the United States.

Background: There is a paucity of information regarding the clinical experience of Asian hemodialysis patients. This paper describes intermediate outcomes for adult Asian hemodialysis patients compared to Caucasians and African Americans.

Methods: Dialysis facility staff abstracted clinical information on a national random sample of adult hemodialysis patients from October through December 2000.

Comparison of urea reduction ratio and hematocrit data reported in different data systems: results from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Renal Network Inc.

Background: Urea reduction ratio (URR) and hematocrit values reported on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) claims were compared with data from two different databases.

Methods: URRs and hematocrits from two different CMS databases (National Claims History and End-Stage Renal Disease Clinical Performance Measures [CPM] Project) and one Network database (The Renal Network Data System [TRNDS]) were compared for October through December 1998 and December 1998, respectively. A sample of records from the regional database was validated by independent chart review.

Survival advantage for adult Hispanic hemodialysis patients? Findings from the end-stage renal disease clinical performance measures project.

One-year follow-up mortality in Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients and its association with intermediate outcomes of dialytic care were examined utilizing the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) ESRD Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) Project and administrative data. Demographic and clinical information was collected on a national random sample of adult in-center hemodialysis (HD) patients for the period of October through December, 1998. Patients were categorized as Hispanic, non-Hispanic White, or non-Hispanic Black.

Smoking patterns among seniors and the medicare stop smoking program.

Objectives: To characterize smoking patterns in the older U.S. community-dwelling Medicare population at the national level and in states chosen to participate in the new Medicare Stop Smoking Program (MSSP) demonstration.

Current management of anemia in adult hemodialysis patients with end-stage renal disease.

The management of anemia in adult end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving hemodialysis in dialysis facilities is examined. Clinical information was collected for a random sample of adult (age > or = 18 years) patients who received hemodialysis for ESRD between October and December 1999 and included hemoglobin concentrations, epoetin alfa doses and routes of administration, iron prescribing patterns, transferrin saturation levels, and serum ferritin concentrations. Patients whose data did not include hemoglobin concentrations with the weekly epoetin dose were excluded from the analysis.

Adolescent hemodialysis: results of the 2000 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures Project.

In 2000, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly known as the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) 2000 ESRD Clinical Performance Measures (CPM) Project, was expanded to obtain demographic characteristics and clinical information on all adolescent (age > or =12 years, <18 years) patients receiving in-center hemodialysis on 31 December, 1999. Of the 486 patients identified, 433 (89%) had the minimum required data submitted. Demographic characteristics included mean age of 15.