Uniform billing data in hospital planning, marketing and clinical guidelines.

Hospitals are major users of inpatient discharge data from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4). A hospital planning and marketing executive and a hospital network consultant describe different uses for the data; including planning, competitor analysis, and development of clinical pathways. The PHC4 data are useful because they are reported in a uniform format for all facilities and they provide detailed clinical and financial information. In addition, Pennsylvania's data include an admission severity measure to permit risk adjustment. These data have enabled these institutions to enhance their clinical and financial performance.