Earlier this month, we blogged that New Jersey lawmakers were moving forward with a bill that would require New Jersey hospitals to make infection rates public and available online to the public.

On Thursday 14th, a New Jersey Assembly committee approved a bill (A4327) that would identify online hospitals committing serious and preventable medical errors. Under the legislation, the state Department of Health and Senior Services would compile and post online an annual report of where errors -- including death, loss of a limb, and disability for a week or more -- have occurred. The names of specific physicians, nurses and other health professionals would not be posted.

The committee also approved a bill that would require hospitals to report infection rates for multiple ailments to the state health department, which then would post the information online.