When you enter a hospital, you expect to receive a certain standard of care. You rely on doctors and physicians to take care of you. What happens when the hospital does not hold up its end of the bargain? Is it dangerous to enter into a low-rated hospital?
USA Today reports that patients who visit hospitals with low safety grades are at more risk of avoidable death. In fact, when a patient visits one of these hospitals, he or she has an increased risk by 92 percent. Especially when people’s lives can be on the line in hospitals, medical errors should never occur.
A non-profit called the Leapfrog Group releases grades for hospitals. They base these grades on quality and the safety of the hospital. Leapfrog grades tougher than the government does when it comes to rating hospitals. Deaths in hospitals can come from unavoidable infections, medical errors and instruments left inside of patients. Risks and history of these incidents are a big factor in rating a hospital’s safety.
The Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine released a report on how avoidable deaths relate to the hospital grades. The grades range from an A to an F. For hospitals that have a B rating, they have a 35 percent greater risk of avoidable death. This percentage rises significantly when it comes to C graded hospitals. Hospitals with a C grade have an 88 percent higher risk of avoidable death.
If you or someone you know is in need of medical care, always do your research to make sure you are getting careful care and attention.
None of the above information is intended to serve as legal advice. It is for educational purposes only.
