Research estimates up to 440,000 Americans die annually from preventable hospital errors. This puts medical errors as the third leading cause of death in the United States.
Leapfrog, an independent, national nonprofit organization that administers the Score, is an advocate for patient safety nationwide.
“We are burying a population the size of Miami every year from medical errors that can be prevented. A number of hospitals have improved by one or even two grades, indicating hospitals are taking steps toward safer practices, but these efforts aren’t enough,” says Leah Binder, president and CEO of Leapfrog.
Key Findings:
On average, there was no improvement in hospitals’ reported performance on the measures included in the score. Of the 2,539 general hospitals issued a Hospital Safety Score, 813 earned an “A,” 661 earned a “B,” 893 earned a “C,” 150 earned a “D” and 22 earned an “F.”
The states with the smallest percentage of “A” hospitals include New Hampshire, Arkansas, and Nebraska. No hospitals in New Mexico or the District of Columbia received an “A” grade.
Maine claimed the number-one spot for the state with the highest percentage of “A” hospitals.
Kaiser and Sentara were among the hospital systems where 100 percent of their hospitals received an “A.”
2013 (latest causes of death available) -
Heart disease: 611,105
Cancer (all types): 584,881
Hospital preventable error deaths: 440,000
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 149,205
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 130,557
Stroke (brain diseases): 128,978
Alzheimer's disease: 84,767
Diabetes: 75,578
Influenza and Pneumonia: 56,979
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis (kidney related): 47,112
Intentional self-harm (suicide): 41,149.