Understanding the quality of health care providers is crucial for making informed decisions about your health.

Data from hospitals and medical practices are combined into a single star rating that reflects overall quality. These ratings help promote transparency and ensure patients receive the best possible care. By comparing these quality metrics, you can identify which providers best meet your healthcare needs.

How to use this dashboard

1. Select the type of provider you are looking for and your type of insurance coverage. If your insurance is available through your job or you buy it directly, select Commercial. If you have coverage through a health plan sponsored by the Washington State Health Care Authority, select Medicaid.
2. Select your ZIP code and how far you’re willing to travel.
3. Choose how you’d like the results to be ordered.
4. View updated practice results based on your choices.
5. Click a location on the list or map to view more details about quality and pricing for your selected procedure at the specific location.

Understanding Provider Quality and Metrics

What Star Ratings Mean for Medical Practices

The medical practice summary quality rating combines a set of measure scores into a single star rating. Each medical practice’s performance is graded between one and three stars—more stars is better. The rating shows how a primary care practice’s quality compares to all other primary care practices across Washington State. Separate star ratings are reported for patients with commercial health insurance versus Apple Health (Medicaid) coverage. The ratings are as follows:

• A three-star medical practice has better quality results compared to the statewide average.
• A two-star medical practice has average or typical quality results compared to the statewide average.
• A one-star medical practice has lower quality results compared to the statewide average.
• No star rating is calculated for medical practices with fewer than four reportable quality measures. 

The number of quality measures varies by medical practice, depending on the number of patients served.

A practice is not scored on a quality measure if it had too few patients in the WA-APCD data with the relevant health condition or need. Quality results are based on patients who received care during the most recent year for which data is available.

What Star Ratings Mean for Hospitals 

• The hospital summary quality rating is calculated by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) which combines a large number of measures into a single star rating. Each hospital’s performance is rated between one and five stars. The ratings show how a hospital’s quality compares to all hospitals nationwide. View the hospital quality measures on the Hospital Compare website.  

• The number of quality measures used varies by hospital. On average, 39 measures are used to calculate a hospital’s summary rating. These measures cover a range of quality topics such as:
  • Death rates
  • Patient safety
  • Patient experiences of care
  • Getting the right care at the right time 

Some measures are based on patients across all insurance types: Medicare, commercial, and Apple Health (Medicaid). Other measures include results for Medicare patients only. Quality results are mainly based on patients who received care during the most recent year of available data.

• Summary quality ratings are not available for ambulatory surgery centers or other outpatient facilities.