ABSTRACT
Despite improved understanding and treatment of community acquired pneumonia (CAP), variations in clinical practice and patient outcomes still exists, resulting in excess healthcare dollars spent and decreased patient satisfaction. The use of treatment and outcomes research data can help providers improve their methods and standardize techniques to control costs and provide the best care for their patients. To better understand the utility and capabilities of this research, this article will compare several administrative and clinical databases. Two, data sources in particular, the EPI-Q Inc. CAP-Compare database and the University HealthSystem Consortium's (UHC) CAP Benchmarking Program contain clinical and utilization data specific to CAP. In addition there are several government and non-government sponsored data sources that include administrative data on many diagnosis including CAP. These include: Healthcare Benchmarking Systems International's EXPLORE database, the Center for Healthcare Industry Performance Studies database, the National Center for Health Statistics'--National Hospital Discharge Survey, and the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review data files.
