Top-rated hospitals are more likely to prevent medical errors such as hospital-acquired bloodstream infections and post-surgical sepsis than lower-rated hospitals, according to a study conducted by HealthGrades researchers, with coverage of the study provided by HealthDay.
The researchers analyzed 40 million Medicare patient records from 2007 to 2009 and focused on 13 patient safety indicators published by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These indicators included HAIs, bed sores and foreign objects left in the body after a procedure.
Data on these indicators was then used to identify which hospitals were in the top 5 percent for avoiding such medical errors. The research revealed patients in top-ranked hospitals were 30 percent less likely to contract an HAI, 39 percent less likely to suffer from post-surgical sepsis and 52 percent less likely to experience a central-line bloodstream infection than patients are a lower-rated hospital, according to the report.
Read the HealthDay report about the HealthGrades research on hospital safety.
Read more about patient safety:
- Surveillance Algorithms Can Detect Adverse Outcomes in Outpatient Settings
- Safety Attitudes Questionnaire Could Improve Patient Safety Culture
- Patient Safety Expert Dr. Charles Denham on Patient Safety: Learn Global, Act Local, Be Vocal