However, there are marked disparities between the highest and lowest performers on several key indicators. For example, hospitals that reported their rates of early elective deliveries, which include c-sections and inductions scheduled between the 27th and 39th completed week of pregnancy without a medical reason, reported rates less than 5 percent and more than 40 percent.
Early elective deliveries represent a significant portion of healthcare costs. Some bodies of literature estimate that nearly $1 billion dollars could be saved annually in the U.S. if the rate of early elective deliveries was reduced to 1.7 percent.
Read the news release about early elective deliveries.
Read other coverage of hospital quality:
– Sharps Injuries Still High Despite Legislation and Improved Technology
– Study: Patient Adherence to Prescription Regimen Affected by Confusion
– FDA Bans Marketing of Unapproved Drugs to Protect Providers, Patients
