In states such as Pennsylvania that issue hospital report cards, hospital patients are less likely to die, according to a new report from the American Journal of Medical Quality, writes The Patriot News. The report looks at patients in four states with intensive quality reporting — Pennsylvania, California, Colorado and Texas.
It concluded Pennsylvania avoids at least 1,500 deaths per year because of its public reporting. The new report compares Pennsylvania patients to patients in states that lack intensive quality reporting. It looks at patients treated for six of the most common ailments, including heart attack, stroke and congestive heart failure.