This fall, CMS launched two new websites: Care Compare and the Provider Data Catalog (PDC). Both tools replaced the eight existing Compare tools and data.medicare.gov, which were sunset last year. The data included on Care Compare is intended to help Medicare beneficiaries make informed decisions about their care. While there have been articles and press releases related to the launch of the websites, there has not been an in-depth analysis of changes between the original Compare websites and Care Compare. Below, we walk through the history behind the redesign, the initial public reaction, and provide a side-by-side comparison of the old and new websites, using the Hospital setting as an example.
eMedicare Initiative
As the Medicare population grows, beneficiaries are becoming more tech-savvy. Several years ago, CMS recognized the need to update their electronic resources to respond to a growing technology-reliant population. This led to the launch of the eMedicare initiative in 2018. The goals of the eMedicare Initiative [PDF] were to update CMS resources and websites to provide “a seamless, transparent online experience that offers simple tools and information to help consumers make good decisions.”
Announcement of Redesigned Compare Tools
Building on the eMedicare initiative, CMS announced their plans to consolidate the eight existing Compare sites into two redesigned tools. Through a blog post, the agency noted they were planning to launch a “simplified and consistent online experience,” transforming the current public reporting tools. One of the goals was to simplify the process for attaining information on various care settings for beneficiaries. CMS also aimed to create a platform appropriate for industry stakeholders who use the data in their work.
By combining and standardizing the Compare tools, CMS created a singular platform for users to “access the same information through a single point of entry and simplified navigation.” As for the industry stakeholder platform, akin to the data.Medicare.gov tool, PDC contains new features and interfaces that allow for more streamlined data searches.
In September 2020, CMS launched Care Compare and PDC for public use. The press release highlights the new tools’ compatibility with mobile devices, as well as improved functionalities implemented due to consumer research. Moreover, industry stakeholders are now able to access the datasets available on PDC through improved technology, specifically an Application Programming Interface (API).
Launch of the New Tools: How has the press covered the launch? What has been the initial reaction?
After the January 2020 blog post and the September 2020 launch, several news articles discussed the new Care Compare and PDC tools. Many echoed the language in the CMS press releases, while others included responses from industry stakeholders and organizations.
Overall, the initial reaction to the tools was supportive. Stakeholder organizations believe this effort to consolidate information will increase the visibility of the various care settings. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice stated they support the transition to the new tools. However, concerns remained regarding the home health star rating methodology. Additionally, LeadingAge, a nursing home stakeholder organization, suggested that CMS could use this opportunity to improve the nursing home section of the tool, specifically the consumer alert icon. Encompass Health noted that providers would like to see the lag time between when data is submitted and when it is available on these public reporting tools shortened.
What are some of the major changes from the Compare sites to Care Compare?
We describe some of the highlights of the new Care Compare tool below, using Hospitals as an example.
Main Landing Page: Care Compare vs Hospital Compare
Figure 1: Care Compare Home Page Search Feature
Figure 2: Hospital Compare Home Page Search Feature
Similar to Hospital Compare, Care Compare has a search feature at the top of its main landing page. However, for Care Compare, there is a new feature where individuals can select from multiple provider types, as this tool incorporates the eight care settings.
Figure 3: Care Compare Home Page Search Feature Icons
Because Care Compare contains information on eight care settings, individuals can bypass the search feature and simply click on the provider type they are interested in researching. This new feature is unique to Care Compare.
Figure 4: Care Compare Home Page Tips & Resources Section
Figure 5: Hospital Compare Home Spotlight, Tools & Tips, and Additional Information Section
Care Compare features an “About this tool,” “Resources & information,” and “Info for health care providers” sections under “Tips & Resources.” This is largely similar to the “Tools and Tips” and “Additional Information” sections displayed on Hospital Compare. One difference between the tools is that Care Compare does not include a “Spotlight” section on the Homepage.
How are quality measures communicated on the Care Compare?
CMS made several design changes to Care Compare to make it a user-friendly interface for beneficiaries. While Care Compare retains all of the same quality data as the original Compare tools, it is presented in different ways.
Below are some of the differences between the measure display on Care Compare and Hospital Compare.
Profile page
When users first land on a Care Compare profile page for a hospital, they are provided with both the overall rating and patient survey rating. This is a more streamlined view than the Hospital Compare webpages, which displays only the overall rating on the landing page. To view measure data, beneficiaries can click on “View Rating Details” under the Overall rating and Patient survey rating.
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- Figure 6: Care Compare Profile Page Ratings
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- Figure 7: Hospital Compare Profile Page
On Hospital Compare, the landing page for the hospital only includes the Overall rating. Prospective patients must click the “Survey of patients’ experiences” tab to view the survey rating.
Data Display: Patient Survey Ratings
The patient survey ratings also have a new display on Care Compare. When a user clicks on “View Survey Details” under the Patient survey rating, they are provided with an actual score for each measure along with the national average and state average. This differs from the Hospital Compare display, in which national and state averages are presented in columns.
On Hospital Compare, users could switch between “Graph view” and “Table View.” One striking difference on Care Compare is that it does not include any figures (either graphs or tables). Additionally, Care Compare includes the number of completed surveys and survey response rate for the hospital.
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- Figure 8: Care Compare Patient Survey Ratings
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- Figure 9: Hospital Compare Patient Survey Ratings
Figure 10: Hospital Compare Graph View
Data Display: Quality Measures
Similar to the Patient Survey Scores, the Quality measures also have a new display on Care Compare. Under the “Quality” section of the hospital profile on Care Compare, users can click each category (see Figure 11 below) to find measure details. Details include the measure name, facility score, national average, and state average.
Figure 11: Care Compare Quality Section
Once again, figures are not available on Care Compare. In addition to the facility score, national average, and state average, some Care Compare measures display the number of patients included in the denominator (for example, 52% of 128 patients).
Figure 12: Care Compare Sepsis Measure
Figure 13: Hospital Compare Sepsis Measure
For the infection control measures, Care Compare also includes the score. Hospital Compare only includes “Better/No different/Worse than National Benchmark.”
Figure 14: Care Compare CLASBI Measure
Figure 15: Hospital Compare CLASBI Measure
The measure name and text under Quality and Patient survey rating are identical on both websites. Similarly, both Care Compare and the original Compare website indicate if a higher or lower number/percentage is better.
Future of the redesigned tools
CMS has announced that they will continue to gather feedback from stakeholders, including beneficiaries. CMS’s decision to improve and redesign tools to make them user-friendly for beneficiaries is a step in the right direction. Prior research has shown that a minority of consumers are able to discern complex quality information. Making this information easy to understand can help beneficiaries make informed decisions. In the future, CMS could also gather feedback on what quality information is useful and important to beneficiaries. This can ensure that CMS is publicly reporting quality information that is consumer-driven and meaningful to Medicare beneficiaries.
Kathryn Foster
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