This policy brief profiles the third year participation and quality measure results for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare public reporting database. Although CAHs do not face the same financial incentives as hospitals paid under the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) to participate, the Hospital Compare initiative provides an important opportunity for CAHs to assess and improve their performance on national standards of care. This report updates previous reports on Hospital Compare results for CAHs. There is also a full-length briefing paper that details these same Year 3 results.

Key Findings:

• 63% of CAHs participated in Hospital Compare for 2006 discharges by submitting data for at least one patient on one measure. CAH participation rates vary by state.
• CAHs were more likely to report data on pneumonia and heart failure measures than on AMI and surgical infection prevention measures. 
• From 2004-2006, the percent of CAH patients receiving recommended care increased for nearly all measures. The percent of rural and urban PPS hospital patients receiving recommended care also increased.
• CAHs still have room for improvement, especially with regard to recommended care for AMI and heart failure patients.
• Variation in quality measure results within the group of CAHs is further evidence of the potential for lower performing CAHs to improve the quality of care they provide.