Newsweek Blog Post: Are Hospitals Less Safe Than We Think?

This blog post by Johns Hopkins surgeon, Marty Makary, M.D., describes the well-know problem of the risks of over-utilization of health care services, argues that no other industry tolerates such a high "failure" rate, and states that a new generation of doctors has been developing fair and simple ways to measure how well patients do at individual hospitals. In hospital-speak, we call the information “sensitive data”—data that would tell you which hospitals have much worse outcomes than others. Dr. Makary advocates for as much transparency as possible in the health care system and cautions against the potential devastating effects of a lack of accountability at the individual provider level.

As he states, "Politicians debate different ways to pay for our broken system. But if we are going to get serious about reducing health-care costs—and improving health-care outcomes—we need to address the 20 percent of medical care that is unnecessary and dangerous. The public should demand disclosure of a hospital’s patient-outcome statistics. After all, we have information on a car’s safety record to inform our decision about which car to buy. But when it comes to choosing medical care, the consumer is left to walk in blind. While we currently have a free market for health care, the competition is at the wrong level. Many patients tell me they choose their medical care based on parking. For an industry that represents one sixth of the U.S. economy, we can do better than that."

Coalitions and employers have a vital advocacy role to play when it comes to data transparency and holding the health care system accountable for outcomes.

Organizations Team Up to Help Physicians, Patients "Choose Wisely"

In the field of medicine, the customer is not always right, but that doesn't necessarily stop physicians from ordering tests and procedures that may not be strictly medically indicated.

Recognizing this problem, the AAFP has joined with 10 other organizations in the Choosing Wisely campaign, which is designed to develop a series of evidence-based lists of medical tests, procedures and other services that patients and physicians should question. Originally piloted by the National Physicians Alliance, the goal of the lists is to help physicians and patients think and talk about overuse or misuse of health care resources.

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