The HCAHPS star ratings help consumers decide which hospital will provide them with the best service and care. However, the data is also extremely helpful for hospital administrations, providing a barometer of consumer opinion on their performance and highlighting where they can improve their operations and processes.

The CMS analyzes this information using latent variable models. The CMS is particularly concerned with collecting data on what they’ve identified as important areas of care: 

Mortality
Safety of care
Readmission
Patient experience
Effectiveness of care
Timeliness of care
Efficient use of medical imaging

Since the four most heavily weighted categories account for 88 percent of the raw data, and all five-star hospitals perform well in at least a few of these areas, the first step toward improving your hospital is to look at how you can improve in the mortality, patient safety, readmission rates, and patient experience areas.