SB 359 - This act provides for price and performance comparisons of health care facilities. The act requires hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers to disclose to the Department of Health and Senior Services the following "performance outcomes data": (1) Volume of cases
(2) Average patient charges
(3) Infection rates
(4) Length of stay
(5) Re-admission rates
(5) Mortality rates
(6) Complication rates and
(7) Infection rates.
The act also requires the department to collect the data electronically and to establish a statewide website. The website will post performance outcomes data for each hospital and ambulatory surgery center and educational information for consumers. This act requires adherence to state and federal privacy laws and prohibits release of data that could be used to identify a patient.
The department must also establish an advisory group of technical experts to provide input into the data reporting and collection efforts. The department will also release an annual consumer guide by January 1 of each year.
The act creates fines for non-compliance with the data reporting requirements and directs the fines to be deposited in a special fund for data collection and reporting purposes.
ADRIANE CROUSE