In November the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs compared its 152 hospitals on measures such as rates of surgical death, ventilator-acquired pneumonia and intravenous-line infections. VA posted this information online to educate patients, provide accountability and trigger hospitals to improve their performance.
For instance, a low-ranking Kansas City, Mo., hospital made changes in staffing, radiology, cardiology and emergency medicine to improve outcomes.
VA can intervene in the bottom 10 percent of hospitals using a variety of actions, from encouraging medical improvements to dismissing physicians, according to the report.
Read the Wall Street Journal report on Veterans Affairs patient outcomes.
Read more coverage on infection control:
– Study: Rate of Fatal Accidental Poisoning Double in VHA Patients vs. General Population
– Rhode Island Hospital Researcher Says MRSA Infection May Be Seasonal
– Study: Higher Nurse Staffing Levels Can Reduce Infection Rates