Quality initiatives have paid off for Pennsylvania hospitals and health systems, according to the results of a new Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council report.
"Hospitals exist to save lives and heal patients," Andy Carter, president and CEO of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said in a statement. "This report is a testament to the hospital mission, and to the noble work and dedication of Pennsylvania doctors, nurses, quality improvement professionals and other staff."
The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania's Pennsylvania Hospital Engagement Network conducts collaborative quality and safety improvement analysis as part of CMS' Partnership for Patients initiative.
Here are five findings from the PHC4 report.
• Between 2009 and 2014, Pennsylvania hospitals significantly reduced mortality rates for 10 of 16 common medical conditions.
• From 2009 to 2014, sepsis cases increased by nearly 95 percent for Pennsylvania hospitals. However in that time, the mortality rate for sepsis fell more than one-third, from 17.7 percent to 11 percent.
• For seven of 13 conditions reported on, hospitals achieved significant reductions in readmission rates. The most significant decrease was for pneumonia, where rates dropped from 24.9 percent to 21.7 percent. Chest pain was the only category that increased.
• From 2012 to 2014, hospitals achieved a 37 percent reduction in harm events, including surgical site infections, adverse drug events and falls.
• During that same period, they achieved a 26 percent reduction in preventable readmissions, amounting to savings of approximately $694 million.