A physician friend kindly sent me the results of a survey done by Health Grade. Their Web site is available at www.healthgrades.com.
This organization studied 5,000 nonfederal hospitals and found a great difference in the mortality rate of the hospitals. The study noted that hospitals in Ohio and Florida had the highest mortality rates. I am surprised about Ohio because the Cleveland Clinic has an excellent reputation as does Ohio University Medical School. The group graded the hospitals on twenty-eight different procedures and treatments. They noted that "The fact is, patients are twice as likely to die at low-rated hospitals than at highly rated hospitals for the same diagnoses and procedures." In general, the study showed that the "risk-adjusted mortality at the nations' hospitals improved on average 10.99% from 2006 through 2008". This is good news, but there should not be such a discrepancy between the top-rated hospitals and other hospitals across the U.S.
it was noted that the four main causes of preventable deaths were: pneumonia, heart failure, sepsis (infection), and respiratory failure. Of course, it is not stated if some hospitals saw more patients who were critcally ill or had life-threatening disorders. I know even in the area where I live two of the hospitals see most of the major problems while other hospitals may turn them away. My son told me of a case he had as an anesthesiologist, where a patient with good insurance was brought by ambulance to his hospital because nine other hospitals turned him away. The man was critically ill, so I wonder if the other hospitals didn't want the case to show up on their records?
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