The quality of the health care you receive depends on many things besides the skill of your surgeon. Many health care providers at a hospital will be directly involved in your care before, during, and after surgery.
The work of all the hospital staff affects how well the hospital functions. This affects your safety and the quality of the care you will receive there.
See also: Choosing a qualified surgeon
CHOOSING THE BEST HOSPITAL FOR SURGERY
A hospital can offer many things to improve the quality of care you receive. For example, find out if your hospital has:
It can also be helpful to know how many surgeries like yours have been done at the hospital you have chosen or are considering for your surgery. Patients who have surgery at hospitals that do more of the same type of procedure often do better.
If you are having a surgery that involves newer techniques, find out how many of these procedures your hospital has already done.
HIGH-QUALITY MEASURES
Hospitals are now being asked to report events called "quality measures." These measures are reports of different things that affect patient care. Some common quality measures are the number of:
Hospitals receive scores for their quality. These scores can give you an idea of how your hospital compares to other hospitals.
Find out if your hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission (a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the quality and safety of health care).
Also see if your hospital is rated highly by state agencies or consumer or other groups. Some places to look for hospital ratings are:
Updated by: John A. Daller, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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