Study: Quality reporting programs a burden on hospital resources

Quality reporting programs such as those mandated by the JCAHO and CMS play "complementary roles in encouraging quality improvement but are poorly coordinated and command sizeable resources," mainly due to the lack of adequate information technology (IT), according to a study published in the September/October issue of Health Affairs.

The study of survey responses from executives and staff at 36 hospitals in 12 U.S. urban centers found that most of the hospitals participate in a variety of voluntary reporting programs (a mean of 3.3, ranging from 1-7). Participation in these programs resulted in a shift of resources away from other, non-reported clinical conditions, and an increase in hospitals' costs for compliance and processes to improve performance.

Quality reporting also increased the number of staff devoted to reporting, or an increase in burdens on existing staff. Half of quality officers reported staff increases up to 12 full-time equivalents; management diverted staff from other tasks, such as financial reporting; and half of clinical directors believed that reporting had resulted in a major increase in their workload, according to the article.

"The commonality underlying much of the staffing burden associated with reporting is the inadequacy of existing IT systems," the authors reported. "Policymakers could support coordination between programs in tandem with wider adoption of and improvements in IT, including the design of systems adaptable enough to allow them to be customized for different reporting requirements."

Without a convergence between IT development, quality measures, and reporting requirements, there will be continued inefficient allocation of hospital resources, the authors conclude.

Source: Health Affairs 25, no. 5 (2006): 1412-1422.