HHS report: 87,000 lives saved by patient safety efforts
According to a new HHS report, patient safety efforts from 2010 to 2014 saved approximately 87,000 lives and $20 billion in healthcare costs.
The report also said patients experienced more than two million fewer hospital-acquired conditions in 2010 than in 2014, a drop of 17 percent.
“Patients in America’s hospitals are safer today as a result of this partnership with hospitals and health care providers,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. “The Affordable Care Act has given us tools to build a better health care system that protects patients, improves quality, and makes the most of our health care dollars.”
A similar report was released in December 2014, stating that 50,000 lives and $12 billion in healthcare costs had been saved from 2010 to 2013.
“Hospitals work diligently every day to provide the best possible care for the patients they serve,” Rick Pollack, American Hospital Association president and CEO, said in the same statement. “These new numbers are impressive and show the great progress hospitals continue to make.”
The HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) studied hospital-acquired conditions, which include incidents such as adverse drug events and surgical site infections, for the report. The AHRQ has also released several resources to help hospitals improve patient safety, including the Toolkit for Reducing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTI) in Hospitals in 2015.
“AHRQ’s role in delivery system reform is providing the data to make the health care system a safer place for patients and we are working to put these resources to use on the front lines of care,” Richard Kronick, PhD, AHRQ director, said in a statement.
The full HHS report is available on the AHRQ’s website.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.