The Leapfrog Group issued a response to the article published this week in the journal Medical Affairs (see blog post http://blogs.ipro.org/abouthealthtransparency/2016/05/13/research-finds-public-reporting-measures-fail-to-describe-the-true-safety-of-hospitals) to clarify the measures used in the Hospital Safety Score and how these measures relate to the study’s findings.
Since the launch of the Hospital Safety Score in 2012, Leapfrog has worked with a volunteer panel of patient safety experts to develop and update the methodology for the Hospital Safety Score. All measures included in the Score are publicly available and have gone through rigorous scientific testing. Most are endorsed by the National Quality Forum. For the last four years, The Hospital Safety Score Expert Panel has advised Leapfrog to include three Hospital-acquired Conditions (HACs) and seven Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) among the 30 measures used to calculate the Hospital Safety Score composite.
While the Leapfrog Group and their Expert Panel agree that, like all measures, the measures used in the Hospital Safety Score are not perfect, they believe they represent the best assessment of patient safety available today, and provide consumers with meaningful information to assist in choosing a hospital. All 30 measures meet exceptionally high standards for integrity and Leapfrog stands behind them.
Read full response: http://www.leapfroggroup.org/news-events/leapfrog-group-issues-response-findings-medical-affairs