Frequently asked questions
 
1. Why is WellSpan Health publishing its Quality and Performance Measures?
Making this information easily accessible is part of WellSpan’s strategy to make health care more understandable for consumers. It also helps WellSpan to continuously improve. We hope that this information will give you greater confidence in our ability to care for you and your family.
 
2. How does WellSpan decide upon the specific information to report? Why were certain areas selected?
Various national organizations, including the Centers for Medicare Services and the Institute of Medicine, propose measures of clinical performance that health care providers should measure and report on a regular basis. We have chosen our indicators from this list of suggested measures. 
 
3. Will other areas be included in this report in the future?
Yes. Our list of reported measures will continue to grow in the future.
 
4. Whom are you comparing yourself to?
This depends upon the source of the information. In some cases, we are able to compare ourselves to other health care organizations in our region. In other instances, we compare our performance to state and national averages. You will also encounter indicators where we compare our individual performance over time.
 
5. Is WellSpan only reporting in areas where it excels?
No. The key to becoming a better health care organization is to share positive performance as well as performance in need of improvement. Through this website, we share both.
 
6. What does a good score mean? What does a negative score mean?
WellSpan intends to use this website as a means of improving the way it provides care. A good score might reflect an area in which the organization and its staff have historically performed well. It might also reflect on an area in which WellSpan has worked to improve. Of course, no health care organization is perfect. A negative score indicates an area in which WellSpan will focus improvement efforts in the near future.
 
7. How often will WellSpan update information on this website?
This site will be updated as new information becomes available. Different areas of our organization collect and analyze information on various schedules. In some cases, the information will change on a monthly basis. In other cases, the updates occur less frequently, but never less than once a year.
 
8. Where can I direct questions or suggestions regarding this website?
We are very interested in your feedback regarding this website. Please share your thoughts with us by clicking here or on the link titled “Questions or Comments" found on any page.