December 2008 Hospital Compare Preview Reports are available from October 14 through November 12, 2008 to participating hospitals on My QualityNet. The HCAHPS data reflects four quarters of HCAHPS survey data for discharges: Second Quarter 2007 through First Quarter 2008. Hospitals must have an HQA pledge on file in order to view their data on the Preview Reports and to have their HCAHPS results reported on Hospital Compare.  The data that displays in the Preview Reports will be reported on Hospital Compare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) website for Medicare beneficiaries and the general public, tentatively in December 2008.

Please note: The December 2008 public reporting will be the last time that Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) hospitals participating in the RHQDAPU program will have the option of withholding their HCAHPS results. From the March 2009 public reporting forward, HCAHPS results from all IPPS hospitals participating in the RHQDAPU program will be published on the Hospital Compare website. All hospitals will, however, continue to receive a Preview Report prior to public reporting, and Critical Access Hospitals will continue to have the option of withholding their HCAHPS results from public reporting.

For information related to the HCAHPS Measures, contact the HCAHPS Project Team via e-mail at hcahps@azqio.sdps.org.