The Safe Patient Project is a Consumers Union campaign focused on eliminating medical harm, improving FDA oversight of prescription drugs and promoting disclosure laws that give information to consumers about health care safety and quality.
NEVER (NorthEast Voices for Error Reduction) is made up of member patient safety and advocacy organizations located throughout the northeast. The mission of NorthEast Voices for Error Reduction (NEVER) is the empowerment of patients and the elimination of healthcare harm by: advocating for patient interests in healthcare delivery; educating the public, the media, elected officials about patient safety, working toward a transparent and accountable healthcare system.
Hospital Acquired Infections
Hospital acquired infections are a leading cause of death in the U.S. Consumers Union supports public disclosure of infection rates so that you can choose the safest hospital and hospitals will have an incentive to improve.
Click here for State Health Care Acquired Infection Reports
Consumers Union Documents
- Letter to WA governor on House Bill 1471, hospital infection reporting
CU strongly urges the Governor to stand with consumers and ensure that current reporting on infections associated with hip and knee replacement and cardiac surgeries is retained in the law.
- WA Bills Remove Critical Hospital Infection Reports from the Public View
Consumers Union statement on the regressive bills.
- Consumer Reports: Deadly infections still too common in U.S. hospitals
The number of potentially deadly infections picked up by patients in hospitals is down slightly, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But your risk still depends on which hospital you go to, since the rate of infections varies widely, with some hospitals reporting none of them and others reporting many.
- Hospital Specific Infection Information on Hospital Compare
Tips for finding your hospital’s information
- Consumer Comments on the Proposal for New Medicare Safety Measures
Consumers Union and its network of patient safety advocates comment on proposed patient safety measure for Medicare requirements.
Consumers Union News Releases
- Washington Bills Undermine Efforts to Hold Hospitals Accountable For Preventing Hospital Acquired Infections
Washington House & Senate Health Committees Vote to Roll Back Public Reporting of Hospital Infections / Bills Undermine Efforts to Hold Hospitals Accountable For Preventing Hospital Acquired Infections
- CDC hospital infection report shows more effort needed
CDC finds national decline in infections but most hospitals haven’t shown statistically significant improvement since five years ago.
- California Issues Report Detailing Hospital Infection Rates For 2011
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a number of reports today updating hospital infection rates for hospitals throughout the state during 2011. All California hospitals are required to publicly report patient infection data as a result of a 2008 state law that aims to encourage hospitals to improve efforts to prevent infections.
- Central Line Bloodstream Infections Disclosed at Hospitals Nationwide
Infection Disclosure Is A Milestone Following A Multi-Year Campaign By Consumer Advocates to Make Information Public
- California Releases New Report on Hospital Infection Rates
SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued its annual report today detailing patient infection rates at hospitals across the state. The report publishes the rates for a wide variety of infections at California hospitals and helps to establish California as a leader among states for disclosing such patient safety data, according to Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project.
Blog Posts
- Holiday in the hospital? Stay safe!
If you have to enter a hospital over the holidays, we have some advice on how to stay safe in there.
- Cliff Sniffs C.diff
Last week an interesting study from the Netherlands demonstrated that a dog trained in detection was able to sniff out the presence of Clostridium difficile superbug (aka, c.difficile or c.diff) in hospital patients.
- Safe Patient Summit inspires patient safety advocates
This week, Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project brought 31 energized advocates from across the U.S. to the 7th annual Safe Patient summit November 12-14, with a day of presentations at Consumer Reports headquarters in Yonkers, NY.
- Advocate on the move
Find out what made CA-based patient safety advocate go to Wyoming.
- Patient safety advocates share ideas with CDC experts on fighting healthcare-acquired infections
Consumers Union’s network of patient safety advocates and Safe Patient Project staff met in Atlanta this month for an energizing meeting at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) to discuss one of the most important issues facing public health: healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs).
News Articles
- Fecal Transplant: FDA Wants Regulation Source: MedPage Today (Wednesday May 15, 2013)
MedPage Today reports: “Researchers who have been reporting success with the use of fecal transplant to treat resistant C. difficile are likely to need an OK from the the FDA to continue that treatment.”
- Targeted screening can reduce spread of C. diff infection Source: Fierce Healthcare (Friday May 3, 2013)
New study published in the May issue of American Journal of Infection Control finds testing patients with 3 risk factors when they’re admitted could help hospitals reduce spread of C.diff infection.
- Deadly CRE Infection Spreading Fast in Hospitals Source: Health Leaders Media (Thursday May 2, 2013)
Arjun Srinivasan, MD, Associate Director for Healthcare Associated Infection Prevention Programs for the CDC responds to questions about CRE, a deadly antibiotic-resistant infection which has been detected in hospitals in 42 states.
- N.J. hospitals credit Obamacare for drop in infections Source: The Inquirer (Thursday May 2, 2013)
“New Jersey hospitals are celebrating major drops last year in hospital infections and other preventable problems, crediting a federally funded initiative that’s part of the Affordable Care Act.”
- The revulsion about feces: Get over it Source: KevinMD (Thursday May 2, 2013)
Guest blog post about C.diff and feces on KevinMD by Christian Lillis, co-founder of the Peggy Lillis Memorial Foundation, and member of Consumers Union’s Safe Patient Project network.
Research and Reports
- Health Watch USA Newsletter (April 22, 2013) Source: Health Watch USA (Monday April 22, 2013)
Patient safety news collected by Health Watch USA.. Hospital Acquired Infections Radio Show with Arjun Srinivasan from the CDC and Dr. Kevin Kavanagh, Board Director of Health Watch USA.
- Health Watch USA Newsletter - April 2013 Source: Health Watch USA (Friday April 12, 2013)
Patient safety news collected by Health Watch USA.
- Can Inpatient Hospital Experiences Predict Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections? Source: PLOS ONE (Friday April 5, 2013)
Health Watch USA Publication: An association between CLABSI and Hospital Wide Patient Survey Results points to a Problem with the Culture of Safety in Facilities with poor CLABSI rates.
Can Inpatient Hospital Experiences Predict Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections? Plos One. April 5, 2012.
- What to Do if You Have a Concern about Quality in a New York Hospital Source: Informed Patient Institute (Thursday March 28, 2013)
This tip sheet explains steps you can take within the hospital to deal with your concerns about quality of care. It also tells you how to contact the places that regulate or oversee hospitals. You can also consider filing a lawsuit, but that is not the focus of this tip sheet.
- Health Watch USA Newsletter - March 2013 Source: Health Watch USA (Wednesday March 27, 2013)
Patient safety news collected by Health Watch USA.
To Delay is Deadly
98,000 people die each year needlessly because of preventable medical harm. Efforts to reduce this are few and fragmented. With little transparency and no public reporting (except where hard fought state laws now require it), scarce data does not paint a picture of real progress.
In this report (PDF) we give the country a failing grade on progress on select recommendations we believe necessary to create a health-care system free of preventable medical harm.