The most recent Leapfrog's Hospital Safety Scores show that while hospitals are doing better implementing safety processes, performance on outcomes lags, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website.

Since April 2014, there's been improvement on all 15 of Leapfrog's "process" measures, including hand hygiene. However, the data also points to a lack of progress on outcomes, with hospitals even declining on certain measures, such as preventing surgical site infections in patients who have undergone major colon surgery. 

The scores are being released to the public at a time when Ebola has drawn the subject of patient safety into sharp focus. The Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, for instance, received an "A" grade on the Fall 2014 Hospital Safety Score for its past performance on safety measures.

"Though we don't have much data on infectious diseases specifically, such as Ebola, we know that some hospitals are much better than others at preventing harm. Yet even "A" hospitals make mistakes, and sometimes patients are harmed. Based on the data Leapfrog used in the Hospital Safety Score, Texas Health Presbyterian is among the safer hospitals in the nation. The recent mishandling of Ebola cases proves that as a country, our hospitals must work harder to become prepared for this and any future threats," said Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog

Read the article.