Variation in diagnostic coding of patients with pneumonia and its association with hospital risk-standardized mortality rates: a cross-sectional analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Most U.S. hospitals publicly report 30-day risk-standardized mortality rates for pneumonia. Rates exclude severe cases, which may be assigned a secondary diagnosis of pneumonia and a principal diagnosis of sepsis or respiratory failure. By assigning sepsis and respiratory failure codes more liberally, hospitals might improve their reported performance.

Objective

To examine the effect of the definition of pneumonia on hospital mortality rates.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

329 U.S. hospitals.

Patients

Adults hospitalized for pneumonia (as a principal diagnosis or secondary diagnosis paired with a principal diagnosis of sepsis or respiratory failure) between 2007 and 2010.

Measurements

Proportion of patients with pneumonia coded w

SUBMITTER: Rothberg MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6946057 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature