Patient safety is the #1 reason for being in business at Essential Medical Products. That’s why this news makes us so happy:
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) did a study in the US and found a 21% reduction in hospital acquired conditions (HACs) since 2010. They estimate that over 3 million HACs were prevented, saving 125,000 lives and over $28B in healthcare costs.
Why such a drastic reduction? The study was inconclusive as to the reasons, but speculate contributing causes may be:
- Financial incentives
- Pubic reporting for hospital-level results
- Assistance through the Quality Improvement Organization program
- Efforts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Partnership for Patients (PfP) initiative
The preliminary study indicated that fewer than 37,000 patients died in hospitals in 2015 due to HACs. These numbers mean that hospitals have made huge advances in patient safety in the recent years. Better patient record keeping and better communication within the healthcare system may also have played a role in this success. Also, the use of electronic health records (EHRs) were more widely adopted making the recording and sharing of patient information faster and more accurate than solely pen and paper charts. New research and technology has also been implemented to help diagnose and treat HACs before they become fatal or have any adverse effects to the patients well-being.
Part of creating a safe hospital environment is providing comfortable beds and equipment. If your healthcare institution needs to update their medical products, check out Essential Medical Products.
Read more details and stats from this study on the AHRQ website.
