Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Reports Give False Hope

Don't Let Reports Fool You

Don’t let reports of hospitals doing poorly cause you false hope that you are automatically safe if you use another hospital. Newsday December 23, 2014 
We know that as well as bad things happening in hospitals, lives are saved each and every minute of each day.  But, I don’t want to take away from even one life being cut short because of a medical error, hospital acquired infection or unplanned outcome.  Reports that a hospital has lower ratings than another gives reason for leadership to pat themselves on the back – but even in the “best” hospitals people have bedsores, die from infections and can be given the wrong medication.  Even if they don’t make the news.  To let our guard down even for a second is a cause for concern.  
Never had a car accident?  So should you stop wearing your seat belt?  Cancel your insurance?  No.  We must use these reports only as an opportunity to continue the conversation, recognize we aren’t where we need to be yet and continue the education and advocacy that was started long ago.  This report is screaming that PULSE of NY is important and patient safety groups need to step it up a notch and work closer where the problem is – in the hospitals and at the bedside.