Hospital quality measures indicate how well a hospital provides care for its patients. Quality measures can be used to determine the performance of hospitals, health professionals and physicians. Quality measures assess aspects of healthcare structure (such as types and availability of services), outcomes (such as infection rates, mortality, length of stay), or processes (such as giving antibiotics prior to and after certain surgical procedures).
A commitment to ongoing hospital quality measures that include continuous review of patient safety data requires the time and effort of every employee, physician and volunteer. At Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH), each department and service collects data on a wide range of hospital quality measures that identifies trends in our clinical outcomes and patient safety data. This information is reviewed on a regular basis to identify areas in which we can continue to improve.
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines quality healthcare as "doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right person, and having the best possible result." Patient safety - the act of doing no harm - underlies all aspects of quality healthcare. The commitment to quality improvement permeates our hospital, and the benefits are felt every day by our patients and their families.
Information on how SBUH compares to other hospitals in the state and nationally with quality measures (as determined by The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other national agencies reporting on quality) is publically available to help you make an informed health care decision.
This website can be used as a tool to help you become a more informed healthcare consumer and better manage your personal health. We encourage you to use the information available by discussing it with your doctor, hospital representatives, or other health care professionals, as well as with family members and friends.