Hospital Safety Score

Our Mission

How safe is your hospital? The Hospital Safety Score is an A, B, C, D, or F letter grade reflecting how safe hospitals are for patients. For the first time ever, this score empowers you to make informed decisions about the safety of your medical care. Almost 2,700 hospitals across the country have received a letter grade evaluating their safety- please visit www.HospitalSafetyScore.org to look up the safest hospitals in your community.

Every day in the U.S., more than 400 people die because of a preventable hospital error.

Some people do more research on what car to buy than what hospital to go to. The Hospital Safety Score provides the data and research to help you make an informed decision about the most critical aspect of a hospital stay: safety. It doesn’t matter if your hospital has the latest equipment or the best specialists if safety procedures aren’t in place. The safety measurements the Hospital Safety Score considers represent the very basic blocks of medical care, such as hand-washing, computerized medication control and nurse staffing levels. The goal of the Hospital Safety Score is to reduce the 180,000 yearly deaths from hospital errors and injuries through publicly recognizing safety and exposing harm. “Harm” ranges from infections and acquired injuries (such as bedsores) to medication mix-ups and other errors.

Find out the Hospital Safety Score at www.HospitalSafetyScore.org of your local hospital before there is an emergency, and use this information to plan medical procedures you or a loved one is about to face. Take a copy of the score with you on your next doctor’s visit and start a conversation. You have a choice. And you deserve to be in the best hospital possible.

Activity

Barbara Ficarra is now following Hospital Safety Score
On Aug 26
James Miller is now following Hospital Safety Score
On Aug 22
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How will hospital staff make sure my child has a safe surgery?

Hospital staff will do the following to ensure your child has a safe surgery:
- Hospital staff will review the procedure in the OR prior to the beginning of the surgery. It is valuable for them to find out who will be in the room, what their role is and, exactly what is supposed to be done to your child.
... Full Post
On Jul 03
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How can I prevent errors in my child’s radiation treatment?

Radiation treatment for cancer can be very effective. It may make you more comfortable with your child’s radiology therapy if you ask some basic questions in order to keep errors in care at bay. The American Society of Radiation Oncology and others suggest that you:
- Find out about the t
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:

How can I be sure there are no errors in my radiation treatment?

Radiation treatment for cancer can be very effective. However, it can be hard to trust a treatment that you cannot see, touch or smell. It may make you more comfortable with your radiology therapy if you ask some basic questions to keep yourself safe. The American Society of Radiation Oncology... Full Post

On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:

How should I talk to my doctor about medical error?

No one likes to admit that he has made a mistake. Talking to your doctor about medical error -- either general experience or in regards to your care -- can be tricky. It is important to be sensitive to how the question may be received. Pay careful attention to the wording of the question... Full Post

On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How can I prevent problems during shift changes when I'm in the hospital?

Typically, a lot is happening during shift changes that can make them dangerous. Some ways you as a patient can help minimize problems include:
- Do not interrupt your clinicians if the shift change is happening at your bedside. If their process is designed well, the team will ask you if you have questions
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How can hospitals prevent errors during shift changes?

Shift changes are busy times in hospitals. They can create opportunities for dangers and miscommunications about your care. Hospitals are working on making shift changes safer by taking action to minimize the chance of errors at this crucial time.
- Hospitals are focusing more and more on better c
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How can I avoid overdoses from imaging tests?

Imaging tests are common and useful, but care needs to be exercised to make sure you are not accidently overdosed. Some actions you can take to help prevent the chance of overdose include:
- Ask questions to be sure you are only getting the tests that are necessary to support an effective
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score Admin of Hospital Safety Score answered:
How will hospital staff make sure my child has a safe surgery?

Hospital staff will do the following to ensure your child has a safe surgery:
- Hospital staff will review the procedure in the OR prior to the beginning of the surgery. It is valuable for them to find out who will be in the room, what their role is and, exactly what is supposed to be done to your child.
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How can I better communicate with my doctor so that my healthcare is safe?

Communication is difficult. When you are meeting with your physician, it is important to listen carefully to help make your care experience as safe as possible.
- Be sure to ask questions when you are unsure of what you are being told.
- Be as prepared as you can be for the encounter. Before your
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:

How can I protect my child in the hospital?

Children, like adults, are vulnerable when they are in the hospital. Protecting them from harm due to either bad people or innocent mistakes is an important role for a parent.

Sharing concerns and remaining an active participant in the healthcare team are appropriate. There are effective... Full Post

On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:
How can I help prevent errors in my child’s imaging tests?

Kids may be more sensitive to imaging tests -- even when they are done perfectly. To keep imaging as error free as possible for your kids you should:
- Keep a record of the tests taken so your child does not receive unnecessary scans. The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging “Image
... Full Post
On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:

What should I do if my healthcare team isn't working well together?

Bad behavior and poor relationships are never fun to witness, but in health care, they are a safety issue. To some extent, these behaviors are understandable, as healthcare is a stressful and “high stakes” profession—but anger, fatigue, and frustration cannot be allowed to affect the safety... Full Post

On Jun 06
Hospital Safety Score answered:

How can I find a patient advocate?

It is a good idea to find a patient advocate for your hospitalization. You may not have a family member or loved one that can serve as an advocate for you. Just because someone is concerned for you does not necessarily mean that he/she can play this assertive role in your care. If you do... Full Post

On Jun 06

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Hospital Safety Score

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