Populations at Risk

The Standardized Readmission Ratio (SRR) for a dialysis facility is the ratio of the number of observed index discharges from acute care hospitals to that facility that resulted in an unplanned readmission to an acute care hospital within 4-30 days of discharge to the expected number of readmissions given the discharging hospitals and the characteristics of the patients and based on a national norm. Note that the measure is based on Medicare-covered dialysis patients.

The risk adjusted facility level transfusion ratio “STrR” is specified for all adult dialysis patients. It is a ratio of the number of eligible red blood cell transfusion events observed in patients dialyzing at a facility, to the number of eligible transfusion events that would be expected under a national norm, after accounting for the patient characteristics within each facility. Eligible transfusions are those that do not have any claims pertaining to the comorbidities identified for exclusion, in the one year look back period prior to each observation window.

The percentage of patients ages 40 to 75 years who were dispensed a medication for diabetes that receive a statin medication.

This facility-level measure estimates an all-cause, unplanned, 30-day, risk-standardized readmission rate for adult Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) patients with a principal discharge diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder or dementia/Alzheimer’s disease.

The performance period for the measure is 24 months.

The percentage of patients 18 years and older with a serious mental illness or alcohol or other drug dependence who received a screening for tobacco use and follow-up for those identified as a current tobacco user. Two rates are reported.

Rate 1: The percentage of patients 18 years and older with a diagnosis of serious mental illness who received a screening for tobacco use and follow-up for those identified as a current tobacco user.

The number of medical and surgical discharges with a secondary diagnosis of transfusion reaction for patients ages 18 years and older or obstetric patients. Excludes cases with a principal diagnosis of transfusion reaction or cases with a secondary diagnosis of transfusion reaction that is present on admission.

Admissions for a principal diagnosis of diabetes without mention of short-term (ketoacidosis, hyperosmolarity, or coma) or long-term (renal, eye, neurological, circulatory, or other unspecified) complications per 100,000 population, ages 18 years and older. Excludes obstetric admissions and transfers from other institutions.

[NOTE: The software provides the rate per population. However, common practice reports the measure as per 100,000 population. The user must multiply the rate obtained from the software by 100,000 to report admissions per 100,000 population.]

Admissions with a principal diagnosis of urinary tract infection per 100,000 population, ages 18 years and older. Excludes kidney or urinary tract disorder admissions, other indications of immunocompromised state admissions, obstetric admissions, and transfers from other institutions.

[NOTE: The software provides the rate per population. However, common practice reports the measure as per 100,000 population. The user must multiply the rate obtained from the software by 100,000 to report admissions per 100,000 population.]

Percentage of children and adolescents 1-17 years of age who had a new prescription for an antipsychotic medication, but no U.S. Food and Drug Administration primary indication for antipsychotics, and had documentation of psychosocial care as first-line treatment.

The percentage of patients 65 years of age and older who received at least two dispensing events for the same high-risk medication. A lower rate represents better performance.