Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Quality Indicators: Literature Review

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Consultation in doctor's office

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ’s) Quality Indicators™ are standardized, evidence-based measures of healthcare quality rely on readily available inpatient hospital claims data and can be used to pinpoint patient safety problems, identify opportunities for improvement, and track hospital performance over time. Hundreds of hospitals use the indicators to track clinical performance and outcomes, including inpatient mortality, surgical complications, and hospital-acquired infections.

AIR conducted a literature review and environmental scan of the Quality Indicators to help inform decisions about the future of AHRQ’s Quality Indicators program, including which indicators to prioritize, retain, and refine for use in quality improvement initiatives.