The following websites provide data and information on the quality and safety of healthcare and healthcare services in Massachusetts and beyond.
Care Compare is a tool for individuals providing information on a variety of Medicare providers through a single source search and compare experience. Individuals can find information about providers and facilities based upon one’s unique needs, obtain helpful resources to choose health care providers, and make more informed decisions about where to get healthcare. In addition to general information about doctors, clinicians and groups enrolled in Medicare; data about the quality of care can be found and compared at Medicare-certified hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, hospices, dialysis facilities, and community health centers.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal agency that runs the Medicare program, created this tool in collaboration with organizations representing people with Medicare, healthcare organizations, other stakeholders and other federal agencies. Although the tool was created for people with Medicare in mind, many of the measures shown on Care Compare apply to people who may not have Medicare.
Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 17,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards. Every acute care hospital in Massachusetts undergoes Joint Commission accreditation reviews. Quality Check® is The Joint Commission's search engine to locate healthcare organizations in the United States. Among the information provided on this website are:
- Accreditation Quality Reports that provide detailed information about an organization's performance and how it compares to similar organizations;
- The organization's accreditation decision; and
- The effective dates of the accreditation award.
DNV is a nationally recognized accrediting organization that helps hospitals and healthcare providers improve quality, safety, and performance through a collaborative, continuous-improvement approach. DNV's hospital accreditation program is approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and combines regulatory compliance requirements with internationally recognized quality management principles. Rather than viewing accreditation as a one-time event, DNV emphasizes ongoing improvement through annual surveys, patient-centered care, and organization-specific solutions designed to support better outcomes for patients, staff, and communities. Organizations accredited by DNV are recognized for their commitment to quality, safety, and operational excellence.
Among the information and resources available through DNV Healthcare are:
- Accreditation standards and requirements designed to support compliance, quality improvement, and patient safety;
- A searchable directory of DNV-accredited healthcare organizations and certified programs; and
- Educational resources, training opportunities, advisory notices, and guidance to help organizations achieve and maintain accreditation.
Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) is a trusted, local measurement and reporting organization now in its fourth decade, that equips provider organizations, health plans, policymakers, researchers, and employers with data-driven insights and collaborative strategies needed to improve patient experiences, reduce health inequities, and strengthen primary care in Massachusetts. Its mission is to improve the quality and equity of patient care experiences in Massachusetts through data-driven insights and collaboration.
Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is a leading, globally recognized not-for-profit health care improvement organization that has been applying evidence-based quality improvement methods to meet current and future health care challenges for more than 30 years. IHI provides millions of people in health care with methods, tools, and resources to make care better, safer, and more equitable; convenes experts to enable knowledge sharing and peer-learning; and advises health systems and hospitals of all sizes in improving their systems and outcomes at scale.
Healthcentric Advisors is an independent, nationally-recognized, not-for-profit Quality Improvement healthcare consulting organization (QIO) providing services in quality improvement, data analytics, project management, technical assistance, and digital solutions. Since 1995, Healthcentric Advisors has worked with provider communities across New England and beyond to achieve improvement in a wide variety of topics across the healthcare continuum. As a Medicare contractor in the QIO program, and through other private and government partnerships, Healthcentric Advisors has led quality improvement initiatives focused on diverse topics.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services established in 1999. It is dedicated to health services research, the field of study that examines healthcare as it is delivered to patients, examining the quality, safety, and affordability of healthcare delivery. AHRQ conducts and supports patient safety research and supports the use of state-of-the-art data analytics tools to analyze and improve the U.S. healthcare system. AHRQ conducts and supports research into improving health outcomes, evaluating the strength of evidence for medical procedures, treatments, and preventive interventions, and investigating ways to improve healthcare treatments.
Massachusetts Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors is a public-private partnership whose mission is to improve patient safety and eliminate medical errors in Massachusetts. The Coalition's membership includes consumer organizations, state agencies, and hospitals, professional associations for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, long-term care workers, as well as health plans, employers, policymakers, and researchers. The Coalition leverages the efforts of all of these organizations to accomplish the shared goal of improving patient safety. The Coalition promotes a systems-oriented approach to improving patient safety, identifying the causes of medical errors, and developing and supporting implementation of strategies for prevention.
Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety is a non-regulatory Massachusetts state agency dedicated to improving the safety and quality of health care across the Commonwealth. The Center works with providers, patients, families, researchers, and policymakers to advance patient safety, reduce preventable harm, and promote evidence-based practices in all health care settings. Through research, education, collaboration, and statewide initiatives, the Center serves as a catalyst for safer, higher-quality care.