The new report offers a glimmer of hope amidst the challenges faced by patients during and after the pandemic era.
The Leapfrog Group’s biannual assessment meticulously evaluates more than 3,000 general hospitals across the United States, drawing from a comprehensive array of over 30 quality metrics gathered from sources including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Of particular significance are the five measures dedicated to gauging patient experiences, encompassing aspects such as clinician communication and discharge information. Alarmingly, these metrics witnessed a significant decline in Leapfrog’s spring 2022 ratings, coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, this downward trajectory persisted with successive releases, reflecting the strain on healthcare systems. However, the tide seems to be turning as the latest data, spanning from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, indicates a noteworthy improvement across all five patient experience measures.
Enhanced Patient Care
Notably, the measure on “communication about medicines” recorded the most substantial six-month increase, signaling a potential shift toward enhanced patient-centered care.
Leah Binder, the president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, expressed optimism about these findings, emphasizing the intrinsic link between patient experience and quality care delivery.
Moreover, Binder highlighted a welcomed decline in measures associated with preventable healthcare-associated infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and central line bloodstream infections (CLABSIs).
These infections, which reached critical levels during the fall 2022 Hospital Safety Grades report, have shown a consistent downward trend. Notably, an impressive 92% of surveyed hospitals have enhanced their performance in combating at least one of these infections since 2022, with average scores witnessing significant reductions in CLABSIs by 34%, CAUTIs by 30% and MRSA by 30%.
Binder reiterated that these positive trends translate to lives saved, underscoring the profound impact of improved healthcare practices.
Hospital Grades
Beyond these specific metrics, Leapfrog’s report assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their overall patient safety performance, providing valuable insights for patients and families in their healthcare decision-making process.
Encouragingly, 29% of hospitals received an “A” grade, 26% a “B,” 37% a “C,” 7% a “D” and less than 1% an “F.”
The top 10 states with the highest percentage of “A” hospitals are Utah, Virginia, New Jersey, Colorado, Rhode Island, Alaska, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Maine.
Importantly, the spring 2024 report retained the same measures utilized in its fall 2023 counterpart, ensuring consistency and reliability in assessing hospital safety standards.
Patients are encouraged to leverage Leapfrog’s online tools to compare hospital ratings, empowering them to make informed choices about their healthcare providers.