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Inherent Limitations of Hospital Death Rates to Assess Quality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Robert W. Dubois
Affiliation:
Value Health Sciences, inc., U.S.A.

Abstract

Modeling death rates has been suggested as a potential method to screen hospitals and identify superior and substandard providers. This article begins with a review of one hospital death rate study and focuses upon its findings and limitations. It also explores the inherent limitations in the use of large data sets to assess quality of care.

Type
Special Section: Measuring Health Care Effectiveness: Use of Large Data Bases for Technology and Quality Assessments
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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