Majority of US hospitals not meeting surgical safety standards, survey shows

The Leapfrog Group, an independent national healthcare watchdog organisation, today released Safety In Numbers: The Leapfrog Group’s Report on High-Risk Surgeries Performed at American Hospitals. The report analyses eight high-risk procedures to determine which hospitals and surgeons perform enough of them to minimise patient harm or death, and whether hospitals actively monitor to assure that each surgery is necessary. Findings on these measures pointed to alarmingly poor performance across the board and red flags for patient safety. The voluntary survey found that the vast majority of participating hospitals do not meet The Leapfrog Group’s minimum hospital or surgeon volume standards for safety. Rural hospitals are particularly challenged in meeting the standards. 

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Source: The Leapfrog Group, 18 July 2019