Hospital safety practices may not be as effective as hoped

Whether or not trauma centers meet national safety standards says little about a patient's risk of dying or getting an infection while there, according to new research.The findings add to evidence that quality measures meant to improve hospital outcomes may not be as effective as hoped.

Earlier this month, for instance, another study found that hospitals scoring high for their treatment of children with asthma aren't better at preventing those kids from ending up in the emergency room with asthma attacks.

The latest results, published in the Archives of Surgery, show that hospital scores on the so-called Leapfrog Safe Practices Survey weren't linked to either death rates or hospital-associated infections. Read the full article...