Benchmarks and Key Performance Indicators – Proceed with Caution

Thursday, October 20, 10:50 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. ET | Ballroom

Almost every hospital has a list of KPIs that are constantly tracked and trended. Executives come back from conferences and want to know why their facility is not at the national benchmark and how they can get there. But there is hidden danger in those benchmarks and KPIs. Before budgeting for an improvement in a KPI, you need to understand their derivation and if they apply to you.

Demings said, “Without data, you are just another person with an opinion.” But what if that data is flawed? This session will dive into the common KPIs used in hospitals and explain why you must proceed with caution.

Every hospital sets a budget for the year, looking at key performance indicators on the performance of the clinical departments, such as length of stay and case mix index. But setting targets and aiming for benchmarks without truly understanding the derivation of the data and the actions that would be taken to improve that measure can lead to loss of revenue and compliance issues. In this talk, the common KPIs such as LOS, CMI, denial percentage, and overturn rate will be analyzed and alternative measures proposed to ensure compliance and financial success.

Dr. Ronald Hirsh

VP, R1 RCM