As medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the U.S., knowing which hospitals are safer is a really good idea.
Most patients assume hospitals are safe and closely monitored. But investigations by regulators have repeatedly shown that fatal medical errors, inadequate staffing, preventable deaths, and breakdowns in patient safety systems occur even at large, renowned hospitals.
In advance of a planned surgery, hospitalization, or transfer of care, patients and loved ones can take important steps to investigate a hospital’s safety record. Reviewing ratings, inspection reports, and disciplinary findings can help patients decide whether or not they should go to a certain hospital.
In general, it’s prudent to know which local ER is the safest. If you or a loved one has a chronic condition, you are more likely to call 911 at some point.
Across the United States, it is standard EMS practice to honor a competent patient's choice of ERl whenever medically appropriate, and within a mileage range designated by county regulations.
Review The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade assigns A, B, C, D, or F letter grades to general hospitals nationwide, evaluating how well they protect patients from preventable medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. Updated biannually (spring and fall), you can search your local facility using theLeapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Finder to compare facility performance.
CMS Hospital Ratings
The most important public resource is the federal database maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS publishes information involving:
- Overall hospital quality ratings
- Patient safety measures
- Mortality rates
- Infection data.
- Emergency department
- Patient satisfaction surveys
CMS assigns hospitals an overall “Star Rating” from 1 to 5 stars:
5 stars above average
3 stars average
1 stars lowest-performing
CMS Hospital Ratings
Families should pay close attention to:
- Infection rates
- Mortality data
- Emergency room wait times
- Readmission rates
- Patient complaints involving
- Communication and responsiveness
A pattern of weak scores across several categories may suggest deeper operational problems
Review State Inspection Reports
Hospitals that participate in Medicare are regularly inspected and investigated. Many state health departments publish these findings online.
These reports are often called:
- Statements of Deficiencies (SoDs)
- Complaint investigation reports
- Inspection findings
- Survey reports
These documents are extremely revealing because they often include:
- Staff interviews
- Detailed timelines
- Policy violations
- Unsafe patient care incidents
- Medication errors
- Delayed treatment
- Improper discharges
- Cases involving patient deaths
Look for Patterns Not Isolated Incidents
Any hospital can experience an isolated mistake. Repeated, uncorrected problems are more concerning.
These reports are often called:
- Statements of Deficiencies (SoDs)
- Complaint investigation reports
- Inspection findings
- Survey reports
These documents are extremely revealing because they often include:
- Staff interviews
- Detailed timelines
- Policy violations
- Unsafe patient care incidents
- Medication errors
- Delayed treatment
- Improper discharges
- Cases involving patient deaths
Review State Inspection Reports
Hospitals that participate in Medicare are regularly inspected and investigated. Many state health departments publish these findings online.
These reports are often called:
- Statements of Deficiencies (SoDs)
- Complaint investigation reports
- Inspection findings
- Survey reports
These documents are extremely revealing because they often include:
- Staff interviews
- Detailed timelines
- Policy violations
- Unsafe patient care incidents
- Medication errors
- Delayed treatment
- Improper discharges
- Cases involving patient deaths
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