Choosing a new hospital or provider is difficult, and safety is often a main concern. While there are several ways to look at safety information surrounding providers and clinics, there is no consensus as to the best approach. Here are some ways to evaluate the safety of your health care.
Medicare penalizes hospitals that have high rates of infections and patient injuries. The information which hospitals the federal government has penalized (764 hospitals last year) is publicly available and can be viewed on KFN. However, the hospital industry has issues with penalties, saying that it creates an arbitrary cutoff for which institutions get punished and which don’t.
The Leapfrog Group has collected, analyzed, and published hospital data, and their 2021 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades include 49 Washington Hospitals. U.S. News & World Report publishes a “Best Hospitals in Washington” ranking. However, it does not rate the safety of the hospital, but the health outcomes and specialists that it employs.
Evaluating doctors is more difficult, as negative reviews given by patients cannot be commented upon by the care provider, due to HIPAA regulations. The Washington Department of Health regularly reports on any disciplinary actions against a health care provider on their newsroom page. On their website, it is also possible to look up a health care provider license to view a health care provider’s license status, the expiration and renewal date of their credential, disciplinary actions and copies of legal documents.