Dec 16, 2014 4 min read

In-hospital mortality rates decreased significantly statewide between 2008 and 2013 for eight of the 16 illnesses for which mortality was reported in the 2013 Hospital Performance Report, released Tuesday by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.

According to PHC4’s survey, the sharpest decrease was in septicemia, also known as blood poisoning, where the mortality rate decreased from 18.8 to 12.2 percent.

None of the conditions and medical procedures studied by PHC4 showed a significant increase in mortality between 2008 and 2013.

The new PHC4 report also indicates statewide patient readmission rates showed a significant decrease in eight of the 13 conditions for which readmissions were reported between 2008 and 2013.

The largest significant decrease was in congestive heart failure, where the readmission rate decreased from 27.2 to 23.5 percent.

“Reduced rates of readmission can point to an improved quality of care and suggest hospitals in the commonwealth are working to help lower overall health care costs,” said Joe Martin, executive director of PHC4.

The 2013 HPR evaluates hospitals in the commonwealth on 17 medical conditions and surgical procedures. The report contains hospital-specific information about volume of cases, mortality, readmissions and charges for patients admitted to all general acute care and most specialty general acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania.

Area hospitals included in the report were Canonsburg, Monongahela Valley and Washington in Washington County and Southwest Regional Medical Center in Greene County. For nearly all of the categories studied, the four hospitals fell within the range of statewide data, with one exception.

In the area of congestive heart failure, Canonsburg reported 101 cases, but noted a readmission rate that was significantly higher than expected. That brought Canonsburg average charge to $20,479, the highest of the four local hospitals. The others were Mon Valley (297 cases with an average of $20,028); Southwest Regional (93/$12,372); and Washington (466/$14,656). All four hospitals’ average charges were below the Western Pennsylvania average charge of $22,837 and well below the statewide average of $34,808.

According to PCH4’s study, there were 36,754 cases of infectious pneumonia statewide, of which 13,318 cases were in Western Pennsylvania.

While the local hospitals did not see any significant change in mortality or readmission rates, there was a range of average hospital charges for treating pneumonia. Mon Valley treated 254 cases at an average of $19,561, followed by Canonsburg with 113 cases at an average charge of $16,112; Washington (413/$12,699); and Southwest Regional (142/$11,716). Again, the local hospitals’ average charges were below the regional average of $20,725 and the statewide average charge of $30,925.

Another common procedure, gallbladder removal by laparoscopic surgery, showed that area hospitals were performing it far cheaper than the statewide average charge of $43,785 and the Western Pennsylvania average of $29,912.

Canonsburg handled 110 cases at an average of $24,587, followed by Mon Valley (75/$21,327); Washington (98/$20,999); and Southwest Regional (20/$29,279).

PHC4 said that in addition to septicemia, other conditions showing significant mortality declines between 2008 and 2013 were:

• Pneumonia – aspiration: 10 to 7 percent

• Heart attack – medical management: 10.2 to 8.1 percent;

• Kidney failure – acute: 5.1 to 3.4 percent

• Stroke: 5.1 to 3.7 percent;

• Colorectal procedures: 3 to 2 percent

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 1 to 0.6 percent;

• Kidney and urinary tract infections: 0.8 to 0.5 percent.

“The decrease in mortality rates in 2013 correlates to the quality of care hospitals, physicians and nurses in the commonwealth provide,” said Martin.

In addition to congestive heart failure, other readmission rates showing declines between 2008 and 2013 included pneumonia, kidney failure, COPD, kidney and urinary tract infections, stroke and abnormal heartbeat.

Only one condition studied showed a significant increase in readmissions between 2008 and 2013. Chest pain increased significantly from 11.6 to 13.5 percent.

Of the four local hospitals, Canonsburg evaluated fewer than five cases, as did Southwest Regional. Mon Valley treated 44 cases at an average cost of $10,488, while Washington saw 183 at an average cost of $9,087. Both facilities were within normal range of readmission.

Septicemia also had the largest percentage increase in volume of hospital admissions, rising 74.5 percent, from 26,832 discharges in 2008 to 46,813 discharges in 2013, according to the HPR.

PHC4 publishes the Hospital Performance Report in three regional editions – Southeastern Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania and Central/Northeastern Pennsylvania. Copies of all three are available from PHC4’s website at http://www.phc4.org.