The most recent grades from the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit affected person security group, present hospitals lowering healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) post-pandemic, after important will increase in an infection charges in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The most recent knowledge reveals that over 85 p.c of hospitals have improved efficiency on not less than one of many three harmful infections the Hospital Security Grade accounts for. That features: 
• 19 p.c of hospitals have improved in all three an infection measures, 
• 66 p.c of hospitals have improved not less than one an infection measure, and  
• 16 p.c of hospitals have continued to worsen or made no enchancment. 


The brand new grades are the primary to mirror hospital efficiency post-pandemic. Nationally, hospitals considerably lowered three HAIs—Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)—after CLABSI, MRSA and CAUTI reached a 5-year excessive in the course of the pandemic. Within the fall 2022 Security Grade cycle, hospitals skilled a 35 p.c enhance within the common normal an infection ratios (SIRs) of CLABSI and MRSA from pre-pandemic ranges in addition to a 20 p.c enhance in CAUTI.  

“Now that we have now pre- and post-pandemic knowledge for affected person security measures, we’re inspired by the development in infections and applaud hospitals for reversing the disturbing an infection spike we noticed in the course of the pandemic,” mentioned Leah Binder, president and CEO of the Leapfrog Group, in a press release. “Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless extra work to be accomplished. It’s deeply regarding that affected person stories about their well being care expertise continues to say no.”  

On this cycle of grades, almost 30 p.c of hospitals earned an “A,” 24 p.c earned a “B,” 39 p.c earned a “C,” 7 p.c earned a “D,” and fewer than 1 p.c earned an “F.” 
Utah is the state with the best share of “A” hospitals within the nation this fall. After Utah, the opposite high 10 states for “A” hospitals are: Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Connecticut, Montana, Tennessee, Florida and Texas. States with the least favorable efficiency are Vermont, Wyoming, Delaware, Washington, DC, and North Dakota, the place no hospitals earned an “A.” 

The Leapfrog Hospital Security Grade additionally consists of 5 affected person expertise measures that proof suggests are carefully related to affected person issues of safety. The scores for the measures are calculated utilizing affected person responses to a nationwide and standardized affected person survey following a hospital go to. Sufferers are requested to charge their expertise of nurse communication, physician communication, workers responsiveness, communication about drugs, and discharge data. Nationally, affected person expertise scores worsened for the second yr in a row, and all states skilled a big decline in reported affected person expertise from the autumn 2021 to the autumn 2023 Security Grade.  

 Affected person expertise stories present probably the most important declines within the classes of “communication about medicines” and “responsiveness of hospital workers,” each of which correlate with preventable medical errors in accordance with latest research. 
“In speaking with hospital leaders, we consider staffing shortages are one key motive for the continued decline,” mentioned Binder. “Many hospitals are innovating to assist make affected person expertise higher, which is vital as a result of these outcomes are disheartening and unsustainable.”   

The Leapfrog Hospital Security Grade is free to the general public, and grades are up to date biannually within the fall and within the spring. Extra details about the Hospital Security Grade, together with particulars on particular person hospital grades and state rankings, can be found at HospitalSafetyGrade.org.