HCUP QIs are a set of measures developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as part of the HCUP project. These indicators are used to assess the quality of care provided by hospitals and healthcare systems.
HCUP is a family of healthcare databases and related tools developed through a federal-state-industry partnership to support research on healthcare utilization, access, costs, and quality.
Quality indicators are measures used to evaluate the quality of healthcare services provided by healthcare organizations. They help assess the performance of healthcare facilities in delivering safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable care.
IQIs are a subset of HCUP QIs focused on inpatient care. They are designed to help identify areas where quality improvement efforts may be needed, such as potentially avoidable complications or readmissions.
PSIs are another subset of HCUP QIs that focus on potentially preventable patient safety events that may occur during hospitalization. They help healthcare providers identify and address areas for improvement in patient safety.
PQIs are HCUP QIs that focus on potentially preventable hospital admissions for certain ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. They help identify opportunities to improve access to and quality of primary care services.
PDIs are HCUP QIs specifically designed to assess the quality of pediatric care. They focus on outcomes such as pediatric mortality, complications, and healthcare utilization among children.
ACSCs are conditions for which timely and effective outpatient care can help prevent the need for hospitalization or complications. HCUP QIs, particularly PQIs, often focus on assessing hospital admissions related to ACSCs.
Risk adjustment is a statistical method used to account for differences in patient characteristics, such as age, gender, and comorbidities, when comparing healthcare outcomes or performance across different providers or populations. It helps ensure fair comparisons and accurate assessment of quality.
Benchmarking involves comparing an organization’s performance, processes, or outcomes against those of similar organizations or established standards. HCUP QIs often serve as benchmarks for healthcare providers to gauge their performance and identify areas for improvement.