New Leapfrog Group Findings Show Significant Improvement in Patient Perspectives on Hospital Care

New Leapfrog Group findings reveal significant improvements in patient perspectives on hospital care since the fall 2023 Safety Grades. According to the spring 2024 Hospital Safety Grades, preventable healthcare-associated infections have decreased after reaching unprecedented rates during the peak of the pandemic.

Leapfrog, an independent nonprofit patient safety organization, assigns letter grades from A to F to nearly 3,000 general hospitals based on their ability to prevent medical errors, accidents, and infections. The latest rankings also include performance by state and metro area, with Utah leading the states for the second cycle in a row, followed by Virginia, New Jersey, Colorado, and Rhode Island.

In terms of metro areas, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana, top the list. Patient experience is measured through the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which evaluates aspects such as nurse communication, doctor communication, hospital staff responsiveness, communication about medicines, and discharge information.

Since the fall of 2022, when healthcare-associated infection rates were at their highest since 2016, 92% of hospitals have shown improvement in at least one of three dangerous preventable infections. Central line-associated bloodstream infections decreased by 34%, catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 30%, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by 30%.

While patient experience has worsened since the start of the pandemic, the spring 2024 data shows the first signs of improvement. However, there is still a long way to go to reach pre-pandemic levels. According to Leapfrog, an estimated 250,000 people die each year from preventable errors and infections in hospitals, making patient safety problems the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, expressed optimism about the findings, stating, “Patient experience is very difficult to influence without delivering better care, so these findings are encouraging.” She also highlighted the decrease in preventable infections, emphasizing the positive impact on saving lives.

The latest Hospital Safety Grades offer insights into the ongoing efforts to improve patient safety and quality of care in hospitals across the country.