ILLINOIS, October 3 - Website also includes updated Public Health Community Map with essential county-by-county health information

"Illinois residents deserve access to accurate, reliable data about the quality of health care provided in our State," said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. "This updated website will allow consumers to be more knowledgeable about their health care options, as well as provide greater information on the health needs of their communities. Our goal is that these resources - the updated, enhanced Hospital Report Card and Community Map - will provide Illinois residents, elected officials, and health care professionals with greater insight on where resources can be utilized to achieve better health for all."

The Illinois Hospital Report Card currently tracks over 150 measures for hospitals across Illinois; it also assesses operations of ambulatory surgical treatment centers. It allows consumers to obtain information about what services are provided, the cost of those services, patient satisfaction, patient safety, medical complications, and other quality and safety data. The enhanced website is significantly faster and offers other features to improve its functionality for consumers:

• Mobile Optimization: The website has been designed to be fully functional with all mobile devices and is compatible with screen readers.
• Expanded Search Capability: New geolocation and autocomplete search features will help users more quickly find relevant information.
• Expanded Data Access: Users can now download historical data, enabling them to analyze trends in healthcare delivery. Data can be downloaded for specific metrics, or by county.
• Enhanced Facility Profiles: Hospital profiles now include more information, such as links to community health assessments.

The Illinois Hospital Report Card focuses on facility-level data. But a companion service at the same website, the Illinois Public Health Community Map, provides county-by-county information about the quality of health in Illinois communities. The map also highlights socioeconomic and racial or ethnic disparities that may exist. Taken together, the two sites provide an overview of public health and the availability of healthcare services in Illinois.

The Community Map provides data in nearly 100 categories, detailing the prevalence of conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, behavioral health disorders, and other conditions, and allows the information to be broken down by race and ethnicity. The information provides a clearer picture of where gaps in services may exist.

The report card also provides tips on how to choose a health care facility, information about patient rights, and details on the methodology of how the report card was compiled. IDPH continues to consult with stakeholders to regularly update the website, to ensure that it contains the most timely, accurate, and useful information.'