By Kathryn Foxhall

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality expects to make available this fall a Web-based application that will let public and private statewide health organizations report and analyze hospital discharge data in their region and use it to generate a Web site.

The software, called "My Own Network Powered by AHRQ" (MONAHRQ), will let state health information groups, who will be the initial users, record discharge data about the quality of care in hospitals, rates of conditions and procedures and patient statistics about length of stay and charges, according to Anne Elixhauser, a research scientist at AHRQ, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Currently, it is difficult to find a central site where hospitals can post this information inexpensively and consumers can find cost and other data, the researcher said. Some states have voluntary reporting of discharge information for hospitals, while others are considering mandatory reporting.

AHRQ also will consider using other data on MONAHRQ sites, including measures from HHS' Hospital Compare site, claims data and vital statistics.

Information and updates are available online.