What Are We Measuring?

Total hip and knee replacements are performed in patients with severe wear and tear of cartilage and bone in the hip or knee joints.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid evaluates complications and 30-day readmission rates for patients who recently had total hip or knee replacements:

  • Rate of complications for hip or knee replacement patients: the percentage of patients that experience any of the following potentially avoidable complications after a total hip or knee replacement:
    • Heart attack (acute myocardial infarction [AMI]), pneumonia or sepsis/septicemia/shock during the index admission or within seven days of admission
    • Surgical site bleeding, pulmonary embolism or death during the index admission or within 30 days of admission
    • Mechanical complications or periprosthetic joint infection/wound infection during the index admission or within 90 days of admission
  • 30-day readmission rate: the percentage of patients who were discharged and readmitted to any hospital for any reason within the 30 days following surgery

How Are We Performing?

Hip and Knee Replacement Complication Rate

Lower scores are better

The following chart shows the Hip and Knee Replacement Readmission Rate from July 2017 to December 2019. 1.9% is the Mass General rate. 2.4% is the national rate. The equal symbol indicates that Mass General performance is statistically similar to the benchmark.

Data Source: CMS Hospital Compare
Data Period: July 2018 – June 2021

   ★ Performance is statistically better than the benchmark
= Performance is statistically similar to the benchmark
   ▼ Performance is statistically worse than the benchmark

Hip/Knee Replacement 30 Day Readmission Rate

Lower scores are better

The following chart shows the Hip and Knee Replacement Complication Rate from July 2017 to December 2019. 1.7% is the Mass General rate. 2.4% is the national rate. The equal symbol indicates that Mass General performance is statistically similar to the benchmark

Data Source: CMS Hospital Compare
Data Period: July 2018 – June 2021

   ★ Performance is statistically better than the benchmark
= Performance is statistically similar to the benchmark
   ▼ Performance is statistically worse than the benchmark