Uncle Sam Wants You (to Look at Hospitals)

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If your HMO or PPO or doctor's affiliation dictates which hospital(s) you'll have to use, a bunch of quality statistics don't do you much good. Because the "choice" isn't yours to make anyway, and certainly not when you're suddenly sick.

Daniel David of NM 8:55PM May 21, 2008

Completely asinine. Just more posturing on the part of DHS, reflecting how useless this government agency truly is, in ALL respects, even with so many of our hard-earned dollars being pumped into it.
JACHO handles hospitals' accreditation, and their website provides information patients can access including safety standards and compliance with those standards on hospitals in their area:
http://www.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx

A of MI 5:33PM May 21, 2008

This type of information is very valuable. Of course it is asinine to look these things
up after you have been diagnosed and agreed to go to the hospital. However, a much better approach would be to research the hospitals in your area before you are ill, so if and when you do become ill you will know where is the best place to
go.
However, I do agree that there need to be much more information available about all the different types of things a hospital does, from ER care, admission, cleanliness, nursing care, staff doctors credentials and care and all procedures
associated with taking care of patients, including the comfort of the beds, the food, and the plesantness of all staff personnel.

Roni of WA 5:15PM May 21, 2008

Sure, "all things equal", I agree with the previous comments (csh of TN, PTC of CA). HOWEVER.... the idea here is that we are ALL paying tax dollars, into a health system that we [patients] have little control over. So, we NEED this kind of data, so that the hospitals can all improve, and become COMPETITIVE amongst each other for federal funding. Either way, it WILL improve quality, and our TAX dollars will be better served.... regardless of our unique health needs.

MarkN of CA 5:14PM May 21, 2008

hogwash. the bottom line- CMS wants the publics sympathy when they cut reimburstment next year.

csh of TN 4:45PM May 21, 2008

The organization is asinine. You have to drill down to ONE procedure when most folks would want to know about the hospital in general and how it compares.
When you have a heart attack, you dont go look all this up to find out which one is better. How stupid. What you would like to know is how they compare in the general categories not SPECIFIC ones.
Absolutely useless information and my tax money is being used to create it. WOW
Perfect example of government incompetence.
When I have an immediate medical problem, I am going to a doctor to find out exactly what I have, and what procedures might be necessary and then look up each individual procedure for all the hospitals in my area. SURE I AM. How stupid.
By the time I see the doctor, all of the other stuff will have already been decided.
As soon as I find out where this money comes from, I am going to address my congressperson to cut off funding.

PTC of CA 4:40PM May 21, 2008