USA Today took the landmark step on Thursday of publishing the severe maternal morbidity rate—the CDC’s approximation of how likely a mother is to experience severe or life-threatening complications while giving birth—at hospitals in 13 states, making public data that hospitals had previously worked to hide. The 7 million anonymized patient records that the outlet analyzed showed staggering results: women faced these potentially lethal complications “at rates at least double the median at about one in eight U.S. hospitals that delivered babies from 2014 to 2017.” Some experts have argued that the rates aren’t a fair way to measure hospital performance, noting that some hospitals specialize in high-risk cases or treat underserved or minority populations that have a higher risk of health complications. But others believe making the data public is a vital first step for ensuring quality care. “It’s important we treat providers fairly, but it’s also important we hold them accountable,” said a representative from the National Partnership for Women & Families. “The act of collecting and reporting—especially public reporting—of results can make a difference in accountability and quality of care.”
