Mortality rates similar for safety-net, other hospitals

Editor's Note

In a new study funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), safety-net hospitals performed equally as well as other hospitals when evaluated according to medical-surgical mortality rates.

Analyzing data from 1,891 hospitals in 31 states, researchers found that despite ongoing financial disadvantages, the quality of care at safety-net hospitals as measured by inpatient mortality was mostly comparable to other hospitals. Results also showed that mortality rates declined from 2006 to 2011 for all hospitals.

Policymakers should monitor the quality of care at safety-net hospitals and ensure that it doesn’t decline under the value-based purchasing program, the authors say.

Background: Safety-net hospitals (SNHs) tend to be weaker in financial condition than other hospitals, leading to a concern about how the quality of care at these hospitals would compare to other hospitals. Objectives: To assess mortality performance of SNHs using all-payer databases and measures for a broad range of conditions and procedures.