MedPAC's 2019 report to Congress included quality information from Medicare Hospital Compare data for ASCs for 2013 through 2016.
Data reported by ASCs from 2013 to 2016 suggest ASCs improved quality of care. Measures covering the surveillance and follow up for patients treated for cataracts or those undergoing gastroenterology procedures also improved, as shown below.
Estimated number of patient events in 2016:
ASC-1 Patient burns: 11,500
ASC-2 Patient falls: 4,000
ASC-3: Wrong side, implant, procedure, patient: 1,400
ASC-4: Patients transferred to a hospital: 21,000
Mean percent among ASCs
ASC-9: Share of average risk patients with appropriate endoscopy/polyp surveillance
2014: 77 percent
2015: 80 percent
2016: 81 percent
ASC-10: Share of patients with polyp history with appropriate endoscopy/polyp surveillance
2014: 79 percent
2015: 79 percent
2016: 80 percent
ASC-11: Share of patients with vision improvement 90 days after cataract surgery
2014: N/A
2015: 96 percent
2016: 96 percent
MedPAC asserted that ASC quality measures should continue to be refined, stressing the ASC quality reporting program does not include enough claims-based measures assessing clinical outcomes for the bevy of procedures performed at ASCs. MedPAC also suggested measures for surgical site infections, and measures for procedure "appropriateness," like patients over the age of 85 receiving colonoscopies.
