What are the differences between the HCUP QIs and the AHRQ QIs?
The AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs) are a refinement of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Quality Indicators previously developed by AHRQ. Although the HCUP QIs were used as a starting point for developing the AHRQ QIs, many changes to the indicator set were made. The changes fall into several categories, listed and described below. • HCUP QIs Removed Due to Poor Current Evidence for Use Some HCUP indicators are not included in the newer AHRQ QIs set because a review of the evidence revealed low likelihood of an indicator being a useful screen for real quality problems. The evidence was derived from studies reported in the literature, empirical tests of precision, and clinician evaluations of possible problems with measuring the indicator using routinely collected administrative data. Thus, the following indicators were removed due to potential poor performance: • Inhospital Mortality Following Common Elective Procedures • Inhospital mortality following hysterectomy • In
