Patient safety progress called 'excruciatingly slow'

Hospitals need more incentives to to make patient care safer, public health expert says

By Healthcare Facilities Today


Patient safety progress is "excruciatingly slow," mainly because hospitals lack incentive to improve care and performance measures often miss the mark, according to an article on the Forbes website.

Despite improvements in preventable hospital errors due to lower hospital infection rates and a cultural shift from individual to organization-wide responsibility, hospitals lack incentives to make patient care safer, Ashish K. Jha, M.D., a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in the article.

Hospital mortality rates don't have significant financial consequences, Jha said, and under the Affordable Care Act, individual pay-for-performance for doctors and nurses doesn't hold healthcare systems accountable.

"It's not on the top priority list for CEOs. It's not what keeps CEOs awake at night. And until we get CEOs losing sleep about unsafe care, we're not going to make a big dent in the failures of our healthcare system," Jha said.

In the article, Jha suggested Medicare use a more long-term approach, such as bundled payments tied to real quality measures over 90 days as opposed to 30 days. Hospitals must have a better understanding of post-acute and longer-term care, and be accountable for long-term patient outcomes, he said.

Read the article.

 

 



February 27, 2014


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Texas Law Limits Backup Power Mandates for Senior Care Facilities

As Texas relaxes generator mandates, healthcare facility managers now face tough decisions about emergency power investments and resident safety.


Cyber Crossfire: Why Healthcare Is Becoming a Battleground in Global Conflicts

As geopolitical tensions escalate, hospitals and critical suppliers are increasingly targeted in cyberattacks.


UPMC Presbyterian Receives $65 Million Gift for New Bed Tower

The tower is projected to open for patient care in early 2027.


Premier Health Partners Falls Victim to Cyber Incident

The incident occurred in July 2023.


Backup Power's Expanding Role in Emergency Preparedness for Healthcare

Manufacturers discuss design strategies, code shifts and lessons learned from real-world disasters.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.