PROPOSED LAW HIDES PATIENT SAFETY, HOSPITAL INFECTION DATA FROM PUBLIC VIEW

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PROPOSED LAW HIDES PATIENT SAFETY, HOSPITAL INFECTION DATA FROM PUBLICVIEWNew web site -- www.StopHospitalInfections.org -- helps consumers voiceconcernsConsumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, is asking Senators tohalt the rapid advance of a bill that would make it nearly impossiblefor consumers to compare the quality of care provided by doctors andhospitals, as well as keep hospital infection rates from becomingpublic.Medical error legislation, H.R. 663, has already passed the House, andits Senate companion, S. 720, has cleared the Senate Committee onHealth, Education, Labor and Pensions. The Senate bill could come tothe Senate floor shortly.These bills could set back state disclosure laws by keeping all typesof "patient safety data" hidden from public view. They define ìpatientsafety dataî so broadly that the definition will cover hospitalinfection rates and outcome measures on specific medical procedures.This could undermine great progress made in a number of states to makepublic hospital infection rates and other important quality of caredata. For example, earlier this year, Illinois enacted a mandatoryreporting bill for hospital-acquired infections, a law that would bepreempted if Congress passes S. 720.CU is asking Senate HELP Committee leadership to add a provision in S.720 clarifying the federal bill does not preempt state law requiringreporting of infection rates and other patient safety and qualityinformation.To enable consumers to voice their concerns on this legislation,Consumers Union created a new web site www.StopHospitalInfections.org.The site is designed to mobilize and educate the public on the dangerof hospital infections.Hospitals should cure people, not make them sicker," said LisaMcGiffert, director of www.StopHospitalInfections.org. "Makinginfection rates available to the public will motivate hospitals toimprove conditions and guarantee patient safety. We must not destroythis important patient safety tool.Hospital infections are a little-known but deadly problem:--Hospital infections are the sixth leading cause of deaths in the U.S.--Hospital infections claim approximately 90,000 lives per year.--About two million patients contract infections unrelated to theiroriginal condition during their stay in the hospital.--One in every twenty people admitted to U.S. hospitals contract aninfection while under care.--The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates thathospital acquired infections add $5 billion annually to direct patientcare costs.Supporters of the pending federal legislation claim that by keepinginfection rates from the public, hospitals would be encouraged toimprove practices because their exposure to public scrutiny andlitigation would be reduced. But there is compelling evidence thatpublic disclosure of such data ultimately saves lives due to hospitalsresponding to increased public awareness.Where states have reported mortality rates at specific hospitals,publicizing the information is credited with a significant drop inmortality rates. For example, New York collects and reports mortalityrates following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG),identifying hospitals and surgeons. The reports have been credited with prompting a significant drop in mortality. Between 1989 and 1995, the first six years data was collected, death rates following CABG fell from 3.52 deaths per 100 to 2.52. Even more striking, a few years after the report was issued, some of the worst hospitals turned their performance around completely.Pennsylvania saw similar results following the publication of its ownCABG reports beginning in the early 1990s. Between 1991 and 1995, thestate documented a 22 percent decline in death rates following CABGprocedures.Consumers Union is seeking public disclosure of hospital infectionrates nationwide. ìConsumers Union's new web site,www.StopHospitalInfections.org, will give the public easy access tovital consumer health information and a direct route to our publicofficials," McGiffert said. "Consumers as well as employers have a stake in shining the spotlight on hospitals, promoting competition among them based on quality of care, and making them safer for patients."Consumers Union (CU), publisher of Consumer Reports, is an independent,nonprofit testing and information organization serving only theconsumer. CU is a comprehensive source of unbiased advice aboutproducts and services, personal finance, health nutrition, and otherconsumer concerns. Since 1936, CUís mission has been to test products,inform the public, and protect consumers.