Ayushman Bharat Scheme: Private Hospitals in Madhya Pradesh to be Ranked Based on Healthcare Quality

The ranking mechanism will revolve around a performance-oriented assessment of private hospitals enrolled in the AB-PMJAY initiative. This will provide beneficiaries with an enlightened view of hospital quality.

Starting next month, beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in Madhya Pradesh will have access to a comprehensive '˜quality of healthcare' ranking before entering private hospitals. This initiative, a first of its kind in India, aims to enhance transparency and accountability in healthcare delivery under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme. The move underscores Madhya Pradesh's role as the first Indian state to introduce such a ranking system.

In September, the Ayushman Bharat 'Niramayam' initiative in Madhya Pradesh is set to unveil its inaugural ranking of private hospitals participating in the AB-PMJAY scheme. CEO of Ayushman Bharat MP, Aditi Garg, noted that it would mark a landmark moment in healthcare assessment.

The ranking system will be centred on a performance-based evaluation of private empanelled hospitals under the AB-PMJAY scheme, offering beneficiaries an informed perspective on hospital quality. Garg emphasized that patient feedback would be a pivotal component of this assessment, allowing patients to make more informed decisions about their healthcare choices.

The government has established a comprehensive set of 13 indicators to evaluate the performance of private hospitals in Madhya Pradesh. These indicators encompass various aspects of healthcare quality and service delivery.

According to Garg, the rankings will be updated on a quarterly basis, reflecting the commitment to ongoing evaluation and improvement. The goal is not only to assess hospitals' performances but also to encourage them to excel and continuously enhance their services.

As of August 10, a total of 519 private hospitals across Madhya Pradesh have been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Officials are enthusiastic about private hospitals utilising their rankings as a means of showcasing their competence and quality of care. This novel approach aligns with the broader mission of Ayushman Bharat, which seeks to provide accessible and high-quality healthcare to millions of beneficiaries across India.

The first set of rankings pertaining to empanelled private hospitals will be unveiled to the public in the upcoming weeks. The ranking system is poised to establish a benchmark for healthcare excellence and encourage a culture of continuous improvement within private hospitals in Madhya Pradesh.

The National Health Authority (NHA) had previously outlined plans to introduce a novel assessment system for evaluating and grading the performance of hospitals participating in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). Departing from the traditional approach of measuring service volume, this framework is designed to measure performance based on the value of healthcare services provided.

This innovative approach is anticipated to benefit patients, healthcare providers, payers, and suppliers alike, fostering a substantial enhancement in overall healthcare outcomes. The envisioned system hinges on five key performance indicators: Beneficiary Satisfaction, Hospital Readmission Rate, Extent of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure, Confirmed Grievances, and the Improvement in Patients' Health-Related Quality of Life.