National CRE News In Your Inbox.
Sign up for Connect emails to stay informed with CRE stories that are 150 words or less.
Fewer Medical Errors Prevent 8K Deaths, Save $2.9B
Brand new data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows that the number of hospital-acquired conditions—think infections, injuries from falls, and harm from medication errors—fell 8% from 2014 to 2016. The decrease prevented about 8,000 deaths, and saved the industry a whopping $2.9 billion.
The data reported 2.69 million hospital-acquired conditions among all inpatients 18 years and older in 2016. It estimates there have been 350,000 fewer medical mistakes.
The data continues to demonstrate a downward trend. From 2010 to 2014, for example, hospital-acquired conditions dropped 17%.
The decrease in hospital-acquired conditions is part of a nationwide effort by CMS. The agency has encouraged hospitals to improve infection control rates, and mitigate any patient safety issues. It set a goal of reducing hospital-acquired conditions by 20% from 2014 to 2019, which would result in 1.8 million fewer hospital-acquired conditions, $19.1 billion in cost savings, and 53,000 fewer deaths.
For questions, comments or concerns, please contact Jennifer Duell Popovec
