This group identifies patients who died with a diagnosis in one of the DRG classifications with a typically low mortality rate.  Such a patient may have experienced an unusual complication.  While some patients have higher risks than others, some of these complications may be preventable. Because these deaths are relatively rare, a small number of deaths can affect the rate substantially.  A lower death rate may indicate that a hospital provides a higher level of patient care.

About this measure

This measure tracks the number of in-hospital deaths per 1000 patients with a diagnosis which typically has a low mortality rate. Trauma, cancer, and immunocompromised patients are excluded from these statistics.

Note: In this case, a lower number is better.