The Leapfrog Group has released its Fall 2015 Hospital Safety Scores, and the report shows a number of positive trends for certain hospital-acquired conditions and safety measures, but the number of hospitals earning an F grade increased from the spring.
The Hospital Safety Score assigns letter grades — A, B, C, D and F — to more than 2,500 hospitals in the U.S. in the spring and fall of each year. The grades are calculated by top patient safety experts and are peer-reviewed and fully transparent to the public.
Highlighted below are five findings from the report.
1. Of the 2,530 hospitals issued a grade, 773 earned an A (down from 782 in the spring), 724 earned a B (up from 719), 866 earned a C (up from 859), 133 earned a D (down from 143) and 34 earned an F (up from 20).
2. All total, 46 percent of the hospitals changed at least one letter grade.
3. Beckley ARH Hospital Beckley, W.Va., made one of the most significant jumps ever indicated in the Hospital Safety Score data — from a "D" grade this spring to an "A" this fall.
4. Of the 28 measures used to calculate the hospitals' grades, overall hospital performance improved on three process measures — computerized prescriber order entry, catheter removal and appropriate venous thromboembolism prophylaxis administration — and five outcomes measures — central line infections, iatrogenic pneumothorax incidence, postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, postoperative wound dehiscence, and accidental punctures or lacerations.
5. Average performance declined, however on six measures, including medication reconciliation, prevention of ventilator-associated complications, appropriate prophylactic antibiotic administration, foreign object left in patients after surgery, falls and trauma, and postoperative respiratory failure.
More articles on quality measurement:
Should hospital-onset bacteremia be used as a quality outcome measure?
3 quality, patient safety projects earn annual Kaiser Permanente awards
Safety-net hospital patients have worse outcomes: Study suggests 'intrinsic qualities' are to blame