A recent report by the Joint Commission, which accredits health care organizations in the U.S., lists a large number of hospitals – 620 – that are considered top-performing hospitals. This is a 53 percent increase from 2011; a promising number except for one fact: none of these hospitals are in Connecticut.
The Improving America’s Hospitals report reviewed the performance of 3,300 hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission based on 45 accountability measures. Those measures tested “evidence based care processes closely linked to positive patient outcomes.”
Does this mean that Connecticut is falling behind on patient safety? Perhaps.
The Joint Commission report followed closely on the heels of another report that stated that 23/31 of Connecticut hospitals were at risk of forfeiting Medicare funds because of their high re-admittance rates. Earlier this year, 12 Connecticut hospitals received a “C” ranking in safety in a study released by the patient advocacy group Leapfrog Group. Only four of Connecticut’s hospitals received an “A”
How the grades can impact you
The quality of care you receive at a hospital depends on a number of factors, including the experience of the nurses, doctors and surgeons, the number of procedures and patients each medical professional supports daily, and hospital protocols and procedures.
It should not be surprising that each of these factors correlate to medical malpractice. A hospital whose procedures fall far short when compared to those of hospitals around the country is at risk of having many more medical errors, such as surgical errors, medication errors, misdiagnosis, etc.
If you or your loved one was the victim of a medical error, you may be able to bring a medical malpractice claim against the hospital and medical providers who caused your injury. In order to prove medical malpractice, you must show that the actions or inactions of the medical professional / hospital put you in a worse position than you would have been in had the negligence not occurred.
Source: Infection Control Today, “Joint Commission Annual report Names 620 Hospitals as Top Performers on Key Quality Measures,” 2012.
Learn more about lawsuits for medical mistakes by visiting our pages on medical malpractice.