Non-Financial Data: What were the categories for patient metrics?

Patient metric categories include a) inpatient admissions; b) outpatient visits (in-person and virtual); c) emergency department visits; and d) facility stays (for long-term and short-term residential facilities). The definitions are included below.

1. Inpatient Admissions: number of hospital admissions on a clinician’s order (i.e., direct admit) or formally admitted from the emergency department to the hospital (i.e., emergency admission).
2. Outpatient Visits: number of in-person or virtual patient encounters with a clinician in an office-based, clinic, or hospital outpatient department setting that do not require an inpatient admission.
3. Emergency Department Visit: number of emergency department encounters for care or treatment. This may include patients on observation status who are cared for no longer than 72 hours but not formally admitted to a hospital.
4. Facility Stays: number of stays (defined as unique admissions) for patients residing in a long-term or short-term care or treatment facility.

A comprehensive user guide with definitions will be made available when the first reporting period begins.

(Updated 7/1/2021)