HHS Inpatient Quality Indicators for Childbirth

When hospital data are reported, it is important to look at whether or not hospitals are reporting risk-adjusted data. If a department of health reports on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Inpatient Quality Indicators, they are presenting data with certain higher-risk deliveries excluded. For example, the cesarean rate is not reflective of all cesarean deliveries; rather, it excludes births with the following complications: abnormal presentation, preterm delivery, fetal death, multiple gestation diagnosis, or breech procedure.

 

  • Cesarean delivery rate, uncomplicated (IQI 21)
  • Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) delivery rate, uncomplicated (IQI 22)
  • Primary Cesarean delivery rate, uncomplicated (IQI 33)
  • Vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) rate, all (IQI 34)


Cesarean delivery rate, uncomplicated (IQI 21). HHS:005877

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Measure Steward Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Topic or Condition

Reproductive Health

- Pregnancy

Surgical Procedures

- Obstetrical

Measure Domain Process

Care Setting

Hospital Inpatient

Denominator

Deliveries defined by specific diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) or Medicare severity diagnosis-related groups (MS-DRGs); Excludes deliveries with complications (abnormal presentation, preterm delivery, fetal death, multiple gestation diagnosis, or breech procedure).

Numerator

Number of Cesarean deliveries identified by diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) or Medicare severity diagnosis-related groups (MS-DRGs), or International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) procedure codes if they are reported without a hysterotomy procedure, among cases meeting the inclusion and exclusion rules for the denominator

Target Population Age Unspecified

Data Source Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project

Purpose Quality improvement, national tracking and trending, comparative reporting




Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) delivery rate, uncomplicated (IQI 22). HHS:002828

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Topic or Condition

Reproductive Health, Surgical Procedures

Measure Domain

Process

Care Setting

Hospital Inpatient

Denominator

All deliveries with a previous cesarean delivery diagnosis in any diagnosis field

Numerator

Number of vaginal births in women among cases meeting the inclusion and exclusion rules for the denominator

Target Population

Age Unspecified

Data Source

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project

Purpose

Hospital quality improvement; National tracking and trending




Primary Cesarean delivery rate, uncomplicated (IQI 33). HHS:005884

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Measure Steward Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Topic or Condition

Reproductive Health

- Pregnancy

Surgical Procedures

- Obstetrical

Measure Domain

Process

Care Setting

Hospital Inpatient

Denominator

Deliveries defined by specific diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) or Medicare severity diagnosis-related groups (MS-DRGs); Excludes deliveries with complications (abnormal presentation, preterm delivery, fatal death, multiple gestation diagnosis, or breech procedure).

Numerator

Number of Cesarean deliveries, identified by diagnosis-related group (DRG) or Medicare severity diagnosis-related group (MS-DRG), or by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) procedure codes if they are reported without a hysterotomy procedure, among cases meeting the inclusion and exclusion rules for the denominator

Target Population

Age Unspecified

Data Source

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project

Purpose

Quality improvement, national tracking and trending, comparative reporting


 


Vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) rate, all (IQI 34). HHS:005886

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Measure Steward Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)

Topic or Condition

Reproductive Health

- Pregnancy

Surgical Procedures

- Obstetrical

Measure Domain

Process

Care Setting

Hospital Inpatient

Denominator

All deliveries identified by specific diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) or Medicare severity diagnosis-related groups (MS-DRGs) with International Classification if Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes for previous Cesarean delivery

Numerator

Number of vaginal deliveries identified by specific diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) or Medicare severity diagnosis-related groups (MS-DRGs), among cases meeting the inclusion and exclusion rules for the denominator

Target Population

Age Unspecified

Data Source

Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project

Purpose

Quality improvement, national tracking and trending, comparative reporting



Definitions below retrieved from http://www.qualitymeasures.ahrq.gov/hhs/ on October 20, 2013.