The UHDDS is utilized by hospitals that treat and bill for Medicare and Medicaid patients. Why do you think CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) utilizes a data set? What process(es) does this improve for CMS?

 

The Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services organizes its data sets with different levels of specificity and beneficiary personal information in order to facilitate research. Data are maintained in identifiable data files with actual beneficiary-specific and physician-specific information, such as per year person-level enrollment and utilization.

Cost report data is provides on annual basis and contain information on costs, statistics and facility characteristics.

The utilization of the set data has potential approaches to improving the quality of care. This include;

• Establishment of standards aimed at eliminating the worst care
• Encourages overall improvement. The overall improvement can have a much greater effect on more individuals