For hospitals, benchmarking data can be incredibly valuable, as it allows individual institutions to identify areas of excellence and assess opportunities for improvement. This ultimately allows for more efficient operations and better care. Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality has compiled a list of 100 patient safety benchmarks from various sources for hospital comparison.
Readmissions, Mortality and Complications
Entries 1 through 11 are based on data from CMS' Hospital Compare website, last updated May 6, 2015. Data presented reflect the national average.
30-Day average readmission rates
1. Heart attack: 17.8 percent
2. Heart failure: 22.7 percent
3. Pneumonia: 17.3 percent
30-Day average death rates
4. Heart attack: 14.9 percent
5. Heart failure 11.9 percent
6. Pneumonia: 11.9 percent
Rates of serious complications
Figures reflect the national average rates per 1,000 patient discharges.
7. Collapsed lung due to medical treatment: 0.41
8. Serious blood clots after surgery: 4.67
9. A wound that splits open after surgery, abdomen or pelvis: 1.91
10. Accidental cuts and tears from medical treatment: 1.83
11. Deaths among patients with serious treatable complications after surgery: 118.52
Respondents reporting events in the past 12 months
Entries 12 through 17 are based on data from AHRQ's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 2014 User Comparative Database Report, using data from 405,281 surveyed hospital staff respondents from 653 hospitals.
12. No reported events: 56 percent
13: One to two reported events: 26 percent
14. Three to five reported events: 11 percent
15. Six to 10 reported events: 4 percent
16. Eleven to 20 reported events: 2 percent
17. Twenty one or more reported events: 1 percent
Healthcare-Associated Infections
Entries 18 through 32 are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014 HAI Prevalence Survey using data from 183 hospitals reporting on 11,282 patients between May and September 2011.
18. Percentage of patients contracting at least one HAI: 4 percent
19. Median interval from hospital admission to symptom-onset: 6 days
Percentage of all HAIs
20. Pneumonia: 21.8 percent
21. Surgical site infection: 21.8 percent
22. Gastrointestinal infection: 17.1 percent
23. Urinary tract infection: 12.9 percent
24. Primary bloodstream infection: 9.9 percent
25. Eye, ear, nose, throat or mouth infection: 5.6 percent
26. Lower respiratory tract infection: 4.0 percent
27. Skin and soft-tissue infection: 3.2 percent
28. Cardiovascular system infection: 1.2 percent
29. Bone and joint infection: 1.0 percent
30. Central nervous system infection: 0.8 percent
31. Reproductive tract infection: 0.6 percent
32. Systemic infection: 0.2 percent
Process of Care Measures
Entries 33 through 67 are based on data from CMS' Hospital Compare, last updated May 6, 2015. Data presented reflect the national average.
Heart attack/chest pain patient data
33. Average number of minutes before outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack were transferred to another hospital if he or she needed specialized care: 58 minutes
34. Average number of minutes before outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack got an ECG: 7 minutes
35. Percentage of outpatients with chest pain or potential heart attack who got drugs to break up clots within 30 minutes of arrival: 57 percent
36. Percentage of outpatients with chest pain or possible heart attack who got aspirin within 24 hours of arrival: 97 percent
37. Percentage of heart attack patients who were given fibrinolytic medication within 30 minutes of arrival: 57 percent
38. Percentage of heart attack patients who were given percutaneous coronary intervention within 90 minutes of arrival: 96 percent
39. Percentage of heart attack patients given aspirin at discharge: 99 percent
40. Percentage of heart attack patients given a prescription for a statin at discharge: 99 percent
41. Percentage of heart failure patients given discharge instructions: 95 percent
42. Percentage of heart failure patients given an evaluation of left ventricular systolic function: 99 percent
43. Percentage of heart failure patients given ACE inhibitor or ARB for left ventricular systolic dysfunction: 97 percent
Pneumonia patient data
44. Percentage of pneumonia patients given most appropriate initial antibiotics: 96 percent
Surgery patient data
45. Percentage of patients given an antibiotic within one hour of surgery: 99 percent
46. Percentage of patients given an antibiotic to help prevent infection within an hour of surgery: 99 percent
47. Percentage of patients whose preventive antibiotics were stopped within 24 hours of surgery: 98 percent
48. Percentage of patients who got treatment within 24 hours before or after surgery to help prevent blood clots after certain types of surgery: 99 percent
49. Percentage of outpatients given the right kind of antibiotic: 99 percent
50. Percentage of patients taking beta blockers kept on the beta blockers just before and after surgery: 98 percent
51. Percentage of patients given the right kind of antibiotic to prevent infection: 99 percent
52. Percentage of heart surgery patients whose blood glucose was well controlled in days immediately after surgery: 97 percent in previous survey
53. Percentage of patients whose urinary catheters were removed on the first or second post-surgical day: 98 percent
54. Percentage of patients actively warmed in operating room or whose body temperature was near normal by the end of surgery: 100 percent.
55. Percentage of patients who got treatment within 24 hours before or after surgery to help prevent blood clots from certain types of surgeries: 90 percent
Emergency department patient data
56. Average time spent in the emergency department before being admitted as an inpatient: 273 minutes
57. Average time spent in the emergency department after doctor decided to admit them as an inpatient before moving from emergency department to inpatient room: 96 minutes
58. Average time spent in the emergency department before being sent home: 135 minutes
59. Average time spent in the emergency department before being seen by a healthcare professional: 24 minutes
60. Average time spent waiting with broken bones before receiving pain medication: 54 minutes
61. Percentage of patients who came to the emergency room with stroke symptoms and received brain scan results within 45 minutes of arrival: 63 percent
62. Percentage of patients assessed and given influenza vaccination: 93 percent
63. Percentage of healthcare workers given influenza vaccination: 79 percent
Pediatric asthma data
64. Percentage of children who received reliever medication while hospitalized for asthma: 100 percent
65. Percentage of children who received systemic corticosteroid medication while hospitalized for asthma: 100 percent
66. Percentage of children and caregivers who received a home management plan of care document while hospitalized for asthma: 90 percent
Patient Experience
Entries 67 through 77 are based on data from CMS' Hospital Compare, last updated May 6, 2015. Data presented reflect the national average.
Percentage of patients reporting that something was "always" done during their hospital stays:
67. Nurses communicated well: 79 percent
68. Physicians communicated well: 82 percent
69. Patients received help as soon as they wanted: 68 percent
70. Pain was well controlled: 71 percent
71. Staff explained medicines before administration: 65percent
72. Room and bathroom were clean: 74 percent.
73. Area around patient room was quiet at night: 62 percent
74. Information was given to patients about what to do at home during recovery: 86 percent
75. Patients rated their hospital a 9 or 10 (10 being the highest): 71 percent
76. Patients reported they would recommend their hospital: 71 percent
77. Patients "strongly agree" that they understood their care when they left the hospital: 52 percent
Patient Volumes & Hospital Beds
Entries 78 through 82 are from the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2013 State Health Facts. Data presented represent the average annual patient volume per 1,000 population.
78. Number of hospital admissions: 106
79. Number of hospital inpatient days: 577
80. Hospital emergency room visits: 423
81. Hospital outpatient visits: 2,145
82. Hospital beds: 2.5
Access to Care
Entry 83 is from the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2013 Survey, using data from 491,773 surveyed respondents in all U.S. states and territories.
83. Percentage of adults not seeing a physician in past 12 months due to cost: 15.9 percent
Patient Safety Culture
Entries 84 through 100 are based on data from AHRQ's Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture 2014 User Comparative Database Report, using data from 405,281 surveyed hospital staff respondents from 653 hospitals.
84. Percentage of hospital staff reporting teamwork within units:
10th percentile: 73 percent
25th percentile: 78 percent
Median: 81 percent
75th percentile: 85 percent
90th percentile: 88 percent
Average: 81 percent
85. Percentage of hospital staff reporting supervisor/manager expectations and actions promoting patient safety:
10th percentile: 68 percent
25th percentile: 71 percent
Median: 76 percent
75th percentile: 80 percent
90th percentile: 84 percent
Average: 76 percent
86. Percentage of hospital staff reporting organizational learning and continuous improvement from mistakes:
10th percentile: 64 percent
25th percentile: 68 percent
Median: 73 percent
75th percentile: 78 percent
90th percentile: 82 percent
Average: 73 percent
87. Percentage of hospital staff reporting management support for patient safety:
10th percentile: 61 percent
25th percentile: 67 percent
Median: 72 percent
75th percentile: 79 percent
90th percentile: 84 percent
Average: 72 percent
88. Percentage of hospital staff reporting overall perceptions of patient safety:
10th percentile: 56 percent
25th percentile: 61 percent
Median: 66 percent
75th percentile: 71 percent
90th percentile: 77 percent
Average: 66 percent
89. Percentage of hospital staff reporting feedback and communications about errors:
10th percentile: 57 percent
25th percentile: 61 percent
Median: 66 percent
75th percentile: 72 percent
90th percentile: 78 percent
Average: 67 percent
90. Percentage of hospital staff reporting frequency of events that had potential to cause harm but did not cause harm and were reported:
10th percentile: 57 percent
25th percentile: 61 percent
Median: 65 percent
75th percentile: 71 percent
90th percentile: 76 percent
Average: 66 percent
91. Percentage of hospital staff reporting communication and openness:
10th percentile: 54 percent
25th percentile: 58 percent
Median: 62 percent
75th percentile: 66 percent
90th percentile: 71 percent
Average: 62 percent
92. Percentage of hospital staff reporting teamwork across units:
10th percentile: 49 percent
25th percentile: 53 percent
Median: 59 percent
75th percentile: 67 percent
90th percentile: 75 percent
Average: 61 percent
93. Percentage of hospital staff reporting adequate unit staffing to provide quality care:
10th percentile: 44 percent
25th percentile: 49 percent
Median: 55 percent
75th percentile: 61 percent
90th percentile: 68 percent
Average: 55 percent
94. Percentage of hospital staff reporting smooth informational handoffs & care transitions:
10th percentile: 35 percent
25th percentile: 40 percent
Median: 46 percent
75th percentile: 53 percent
90th percentile: 63 percent
Average: 47 percent
95. Percentage of hospital staff reporting nonpunitive response to error:
10th percentile: 34 percent
25th percentile: 38 percent
Median: 43 percent
75th percentile: 50 percent
90th percentile: 56 percent
Average: 44 percent
Percentage of respondents giving their work area a patient safety grade:
96. Excellent: 33 percent
97. Very good: 43 percent
98. Acceptable: 19 percent
99. Poor: 4 percent
100. Failing: 1 percent
Correction: This article was updated July 7 to correct inaccuracies. An earlier version of this article had incorrect values at point #36 and point #92, which have been updated to the correct figures. Also, a date was incorrectly listed as May 6, 2016, which has been updated to 2015. We regret these errors.
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