Top Hospitals Not Necessarily the Safest
30July2013
If you believe that big-name hospitals are more reliable than others, and more likely to focus on patient care, you may not necessarily be right. According to a new analysis by Consumer Reports, hospitals may not always live up to their reputations as far as patient safety is concerned.
Consumer Reports used federal data to look at how patients recover from surgery at some of the nation’s top hospitals. More than 2,500 hospitals in 50 states were considered as part of the analysis. The findings were surprising. For instance, some hospitals that had great reputations for safety did not always do a good job of preventing surgical complications and infections after surgery. In contrast, some urban hospitals that care for patients from lower socio-economic neighborhoods performed surprisingly well in reducing the risk of postsurgical infections.
Many patients would be surprised to find that Johns Hopkins Hospital actually gets just an average rating in the Consumer Reports findings. Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, which is associated with Harvard Medical School, received poor ratings.
Consumer Reports based its findings on data involving patients who suffered from complications while in the hospital after surgery or whose hospital stays were longer than expected due to post-surgery complications.
If you are up for surgery, do your research well in advance. Check out hospital ratings, not just those of Consumer Reports but also those developed by The Commonwealth Fund and other sources.
The Seattle medical malpractice lawyers at Morrow Kidman Tinker Macey-Cushman, PLLC represent victims of medical negligence by doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical personnel in the Seattle area and across Washington. Contact us so we can help protect your right to compensation.
Sources: