Hospitals across the country are making strides in improving patient safety, as evidenced by the latest HHS data report indicating a 9 percent decrease in patient harms from 2010 to 2012.
The improvement in patient safety is estimated to have prevented approximately 15,000 inpatient deaths, 560,000 patient harms and saved $4.1 billion in healthcare costs.
Additionally, all-cause 30-day readmission rates for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries dropped from approximately 19 percent in 2011 to approximately 17.5 percent in 2013.
"These historic improvements are a result of strong, diverse public-private partnerships, active engagement by patients and families, and a wide range of aligned federal programs and initiatives — including new tools provided by the Affordable Care Act — working in concert towards shared aims," reads the report.
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