Benchmarks of Care
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) calculates quarterly benchmarks of care, based on hospital data submitted to its clinical data warehouses.
These benchmarks were developed using the Achievable Benchmarks of Care™ (ABC) methodology and are based on the reported performance of the top facilities. ABC benchmarks identify superior performance and encourage performance improvement; they are data-driven, peer-group performance feedback.
ABC Methodology
Developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this methodology identifies benchmark care levels achieved by "best-in-class" providers. Development of benchmarks that are realistic and achievable serves to motivate providers to improve care. The benchmarks represent a measureable level of excellence that exceeds average performance. The ABC methodology ensures both that all superior providers contribute to the benchmark as well as that providers with high performance, but very low numbers of cases do not unduly influence benchmark levels.
Determination of the Benchmarks for Continuous Variable Measures
For the determination of the 90th percentile (or, top 10 percent) of hospitals on a national basis, the individual provider median times (in minutes) are rank-ordered and the top 10th percentile score identified as the benchmark.
Trends and Benchmarks
Inpatient
- Second Quarter 2011–Second Quarter 2012 — PDF or XLSX (02/15/13)
- First Quarter 2011–First Quarter 2012 — PDF or XLSX (Revised 11/20/12)
- Fourth Quarter 2010–Fourth Quarter 2011 — PDF or XLSX (Revised 09/19/12)
Outpatient
- Second Quarter 2011–Second Quarter 2012 — PDF or XLSX (02/11/13)
- First Quarter 2011–First Quarter 2012 — PDF or XLSX (Revised 11/20/12)
- Fourth Quarter 2010–Fourth Quarter 2011 — PDF or XLSX (Revised 09/19/12)
Resources
For more information about the ABC methodology, see Benchmark Methodology References, PDF-33 KB.