ABSTRACT
This was the finding on Medicare patients by HealthGrades, an independent healthcare ratings organization [1]. This study concludes that nearly one million patient-safety incidents occurred over the years 2006-2008. One in 10 patients-99,180 individuals-experiencing a patient-safety incident died as a result. Patients at hospitals in the top 5% hospitals experienced 43% fewer patient safety incidents, on average, compared with poorly performing hospitals. The report says that if all hospitals performed at this level, 218,572 patient safety incidents and 22,590 deaths could potentially have been avoided, saving $2.0 billion from 2006 through 2008.
