Highlights of Leapfrog Survey Results
In the annual Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey, data are collected from hospitals on their progress toward implementing practices in four categories:
- Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE): Do physicians enter patient prescriptions and other orders into computers linked to error prevention software?
- ICU Physician Staffing (IPS): Are intensive care units staffed by trained ICU specialists (intensivists)?
- Evidence-Based Hospital Referral (EBHR): How well do hospitals perform seven high-risk procedures and care for three high-risk neonatal conditions?
- Leapfrog Safe Practices Score (SPS): How well are hospitals progressing on the other 27 National Quality Forum-endorsed Safe Practices?
According to Leapfrog, 74% of participating hospitals have fully implemented the practices in at least one of these four safety and quality categories. Here are other major findings:
- 96% of respondents participate in at least one other quality report transparency effort in addition to Leapfrog
- 29% report that their ICUs make use of intensivists — up 10% from 2002. Leapfrog estimates that over 20,000 lives are saved by these hospitals, but 54,000 would be saved if all ICUs implemented this practice.
- Only 10% of respondents have implemented Computerized Physician Order Entry. If all urban facilities did so, claims Leapfrog, it could prevent up to 900,000 medication errors each year.
- 25% of respondents fully meet the standard for the Leapfrog Safe Practices Score, which means that these hospitals have implemented the vast majority of each of the 27 National Quality Forum Safe Practices that comprise that score.
- 29% require pharmacist review of all medication orders.
For evidence-based hospital referral:
- 32% have neonatal intensive care units that meet Leapfrog's specifications for certain high-risk deliveries.
- 24% meet the standard for bariatric surgery (new to the survey this year).
- 7% meet the standard for pancreatic cancer resection.
- 5% meet the standard for esophageal cancer surgery.
- 3% meet the standard for percutaneous coronary interventions.
- 1% meet the standard for aortic valve replacement (new to the survey this year).
Top Hospitals fully meet Leapfrog's standard for ICU Physician Staffing (IPS) and the Safe Practices Score (SPS) and either of the following: (1) Two or more of the eight Evidence-Based Hospital Referral (EBHR) areas; or, (2) Computerized Physician Order Entry plus one of the eight EBHR areas. Thirty-three hospitals meet these criteria. Top Children's Hospitals fully meet the standard for IPS, SPS and the EBHR Neonatal ICU standard for high-risk and complicated newborns. Eight children's hospitals meet these criteria.
Only 25% fully meet the standard for the Leapfrog Safe Practices Score.
Source: www.leapfroggroup.org.
In the annual Leapfrog Hospital Quality and Safety Survey, data are collected from hospitals on their progress toward implementing practices in four categories:You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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