Leapfrog Urges CMS not to Suppress Hospital Safety Data

The group targeted the CMS Patient Safety and Adverse Events Composite, a measure included in the 2023 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule, which Leapfrog said would effectively suppress data reported by hospitals on 10 potentially fatal care complications, from lung collapses to blood clots and pressure ulcers. Leapfrog's position is that because some hospitals are more dangerous than others, the information CMS is seeking to curtail is critical for patients seeking the best performing hospital, which can make a big difference when it comes to outcomes. With dramatic increases in the frequency and duration of ventilator use, rates of ventilator-associated infections increased by 45% in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to 2019.