How safe is your hospital? Consumer Reports analyzed data from more than a thousand hospitals in 44 states and gave each hospital a safety rating in several categories, including:
- Avoiding infections
- Readmissions after discharge
- Clear communication about drugs and discharge
- The overuse of CT scans
No hospital got a top score for preventing patients from being readmitted, or for communicating with patients about discharge instructions and new medications.
Hospitals are not required to make all their safety data available, and many don't, so the ratings cover only about one-fifth of American hospitals. The advocacy arm of Consumer Reports has called for a nationwide system to track medical errors and report them to the public.
