The nonprofit patient safety organization, LeapFrog Group, has published its annual safety ratings on the nation’s hospitals but once again, all but one D.C. area hospital declined to participate, leaving consumers in the dark on just how well the area’s hospitals are doing on patient safety.
“DC families deserve better,” said Leah Binder, head of LeapFrog. “It concerns me greatly that I might have to get care at a hospital [in this area] that won’t tell me about their safety.”
LeapFrog has been assessing hospital safety for 11 years. It was formed by business groups and companies to help get more out of the health benefit programs they provide to employees. LeapFrog has since become nationally recognized for its work on patient safety. The group analyzes hospitals based on infections rates, staffing levels, medication errors and steps it is taking to minimize serious harm.
The one area hospital that does participate in LeapFrog’s survey is Children’s National Medical Center in D.C. The assessment showed that the hospital fully met safety standards in every category except reducing intensive care unit infections. In that category, LeapFrog rated the hospital as “making substantial progress.”
As part of my ongoing work on a patient safety story for Washingtonian magazine, I recently asked Georgetown University Hospital why they don’t participate in the LeapFrog ratings report. I was told that the hospital didn’t have the information technology system in place to participate in the LeapFrog survey, but that the hospital is getting its IT systems in place and may participate in LeapFrog’s studies in the future.
While LeapFrog is one of the easiest and best ways to assess a hospital’s safety record, there are a couple of other tools consumers can use to investigate their specific hospital on safety. The Health and Human Services department reports on hospital information on its Hospital Compare site, which can be found here. This data however, is only based on Medicare claims, while LeapFrog assesses more information. The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, also analyzes hospitals here.
