These reductions helped prevent about 20,500 hospital deaths and saved $7.7 billion in healthcare costs during the three-year period, an analysis found.
The report quantifies trends for several hospital-acquired conditions, such as adverse drug events, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, pressure ulcers and surgical site infections.
The report found patient harm declined in several categories, such as adverse drug events, which dropped 28 percent between 2014 and 2017. Pressure ulcers, however, was a category still in need of improvement.
“CMS is delivering on improving quality and safety at America’s hospitals,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “Our work isn’t done, and we will continue our efforts to hold providers accountable for delivering results.”
To view the complete report, click here.
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