Wise consumers shop around to get the highest quality in what they are looking for. It is no different when people are looking for healthcare providers. Having hospital evaluations available to the public empowers people to choose the hospitals that will be able to provide the best care for them and helps people reduce the risk of medical malpractice.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plays a vital role in helping people make informed decisions about hospitals by collecting data about hospital performance nationwide. In August 2011, CMS released its latest data regarding the readmission and mortality rates of hospitals around the country from July 2007 through June 2010. The results show that the success rates of New Jersey hospitals vary across the state and do not always correlate to patient satisfaction rates.
Using New Jersey Hospital Ratings
Of course, it takes some getting used to, for average people who need healthcare to really view themselves as consumers. But now that there is more information available, it makes sense to use it.
"You're better off making a decision with some information rather than no information," said one hospital administrator, David J. Shulkin, president of Morristown Medical Center. "But everybody has a little bit of hesitancy in relying too much or solely on numbers," he added.
Increasingly, however, people in New Jersey and across the country are arming themselves with information on the performance of healthcare providers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website is a good place to start. Newspapers and other media are also beginning to publish the data once it is made public. For example, the Philadelphia Inquirer recently published detailed performance data that included a number of hospitals from southern New Jersey.
Choosing a hospital is an important matter and it is easier for people to make that decision when they are informed. Despite all of the care that a patient might take, however, healthcare providers still make errors that cause injuries. If you have suffered due to a healthcare provider's error, do not hesitate to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can discuss your situation with you and help you pursue compensation for your injuries.
