Three-quarters of hospital-reported patient safety events were concentrated within four patient safety indicators, according to analysis from Healthgrades, and those four events occurred most often in seven specific procedures or conditions.
Healthgrades examined 14 patient safety indicators defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and inpatient data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review database and software from AHRQ. The findings were published in a report, "Asking the Right Questions to Improve Patient Experience and Safety."
Together, the following four PSIs made up 75 percent of all patient safety events:
- Accidental cut, puncture, perforation or hemorrhage during medical care
- Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery around the chest
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired at the hospital
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital
According to Healthgrades, those four patient safety events occur most often in the following seven procedures or conditions:
- Bowel obstruction surgery
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery
- Colorectal surgery
- Hip fracture repair
- Sepsis
- Small intestine surgery
- Pacemaker implantation
"Hospitals should focus their evaluation and preventive measures within these cohorts, streamlining their efforts for maximum results," said Evan Marks, chief strategy officer with Healthgrades.