AHRQ data show drop in hospital-acquired conditions

Editor's Note

There were about 3.1 million fewer hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) between 2010 and 2015, according to a newly released report from the Agency for healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Most of the decline was because of a:

• 42% reduction in adverse drug events
• 23% drop in pressure ulcers
• 15% reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections.

The estimated 21% reduction in HACs from 2010 to 2015 indicate that hospitals have made substantial progress in improving safety, the report says.

AHRQ's patient safety programs continue to enable and guide improvements in health care delivery. In addition to sustaining further improvements in the safety of hospital care, the Agency has substantially expanded its efforts in order to extend the success that hospitals have achieved to all health care settings.