Skip to main content

Data Validation: Hospital Concerns Raised

Statewide Data Validation Project Raises Concerns Among Hospitals

A new data remediation project was discussed at a May 17 DOH forum for all providers that submit data to the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System. SPARCS plans to go back through data submitted for inpatient and emergency department cases since 2016 and validate that the injury, cause and place settings are complete and accurate, as required by the guidelines released at the end of April.

DOH said that in the next two weeks, it will generate a list of claims that need reconciliation. Each hospital will need to go through records from 2016 to the present and update them to meet the new SPARCS requirements. The requirements are contingent for each year, meaning 2016 has its own set of data, 2017 has its own set, etc.

Hospitals eagerly await details, as a remediation project like this could pose many challenges. Some hospitals have changed billing systems and, as a result, may not have access to records that far back. In addition, the medical record notes may not have complete information to identify the place where an injury occurred. With tremendous workforce challenges, hospitals may struggle to staff a project like this while maintaining the regular SPARCS submission requirements.

DataGen is aware of these challenges and awaits the DOH list. Our UDS team has done SPARCS remediation for 30 years, and we are positioned to help. DOH's estimated volume of records requiring remediation is 50,000, with a facility volume range of approximately 200 to 2,000 records. The majority of records are from 2018, 2019 and the first two months of 2020. As we learn more, we will continue to share updates.

Looking to save time on your SPARCS submissions? DataGen’s web-based software automates formatting, syncing, error sweeping and submission to SPARCS. Reach out to DataGen today to learn more.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NCQA PCMH 2025 annual reporting: Standards and guidelines

For practices recognized under the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model, understanding and meeting the NCQA PCMH 2025 annual reporting requirements is critical to sustaining recognition.  NCQA continues to refine its NCQA PCMH standards and guidelines , emphasizing team structure, care continuity and data integrity. Here’s what your practice needs to do to stay compliant and ensure a smooth reporting process. This blog is a continuation of our piece back in July 2024, which listed three updates to NCQA PCMH's 2025 annual reporting requirements . What is NCQA PCMH?  The NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) is a model of care that emphasizes care coordination, patient engagement and continuous quality improvement. The PCMH framework is designed to improve healthcare outcomes by fostering strong patient-provider relationships and enhancing team-based care.  Since its inception, the NCQA PCMH program has evolved to...
Post a Comment
Read more

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): Hospital reimbursement and Medicare payments [updated]

 Updated on July 9, 2025 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — a major budget reconciliation bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May — became law on July 4. While the legislation covers a wide range of national issues, several key Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) provisions could have a direct and lasting impact on hospitals and health systems.  Because OBBBA has Medicare FFS implications, DataGen analyzed the impact of these major areas. Here’s a preview of what we’re seeing so far — and what hospital leaders need to keep on their radar:  update to physician Medicare payments;  potential 4.0% additional Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) sequestration reduction; and  Medicare Disproportionate Share Hospital uncompensated care impact.  1. Physician payment updates   For the calendar year 2026, physician payments are slated to increase by 2.5%.   2. The potential new 6% sequester  With the new legislation, Congress may allow the Statutory...
Post a Comment
Read more