This report examines the fourth 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 for hospital quality measures. The report updates previous national reports on Hospital Compare results for CAHs. There is also a policy brief profiling these same Year 4 findings.

The Flex Monitoring Team also produces state-specific reports with more detailed results.

For 2007, 69% of CAHs participated in Hospital Compare by submitting data for at least one patient on one measure, an increase on prior years. CAHs were more likely to report data on pneumonia and heart failure measures than on AMI and surgical infection prevention measures. CAHs did not do as well on the AMI and heart failure measures as rural and urban PPS hospitals. For pneumonia and surgical infection prevention, CAHs scored as well or better than other hospitals on some measures, and not as well on other measures.