Recently a Kaiser Health News article http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org * noted: “Two major safety shortcomings in America’s hospitals—the frequency with which patients get hurt during their stays and the large number who are readmitted—have decreased as government penalties and other programs targeting them kick in.”
“The Obama administration credited the new quality initiatives created by the federal health law. But some of the improvements in patient safety preceded that law. Even with the improvements, one out of eight patients is injured during their time in the hospital.”
“The portion of Medicare patients who were re-hospitalized within 30 days of discharge decreased to 17.5 percent in 2013, down a full percentage point from 2012, according to a report released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. That is the second year that readmission rates decreased noticeably after a long period of stagnation. CMS said the decline translated to 150,000 fewer readmissions over the last two years, an 8 percent reduction.”
“Those decreases coincide with the onset of Medicare penalties against hospitals with higher-than-expected rates of patient returns. More than 2,000 hospitals have been fined each of the last two years under the program created by the health law. A number of hospitals have devised new ways to monitor their patients after they leave, including scheduling regular check-ups and giving impoverished patients’ free medication.”
“The Obama administration credited the reductions to 27 hospital collaborations set up by the government to share ways to improve patient safety, lower readmissions and track progress. In addition, the health care law created a penalty for hospital errors that goes into effect in October, when CMS also plans to add infections to its existing quality bonus and penalty program.”
* to read the full KHN article “Hospitals Boost Patient Safety, But More Work Is Needed” by Jordan Rau, highlight and click on open hyperlink http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2014/May/07/Hospitals-Boost-Patient-Safety-But-Still-Have-A-Way-To-Go.aspx
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Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.
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