Performance information to be posted on internet – Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3727.39

The director of health must make performance and price information submitted by hospitals publicly available on an internet website.  In posting the information on the website the director must do the following:

• Ensure that the website is publicly available free of charge;
• Ensure that the website is organized in an easy to understand way;
• Exclude information from the website that compromises patient privacy;
• Include links to hospital websites to allow consumers to obtain additional information;
• Allow other websites to link to the website to increase the website’s availability and awareness;
• Update the website as needed.

The information posted on the website will be presented so that the public can compare the performance of hospitals in meeting the measures of hospital inpatient and outpatient services by specific diagnosis and procedures and by different geographic regions.  A report of each hospital’s overall performance in meeting measures will be issued by the director and be available on the website.  The director should also use state and federal benchmarks to the extent possible.  Information must be presented in an easy to understand way, including providing contextual information about hospital comparisons.  A hospital’s performance on measures where the hospital has an insufficient caseload to report on performance must be excluded from the website.  Sources of information used on the website must be clearly identified, including analytical methods and risk adjustment methodologies.