Before you're hospitalized with anything serious (and what hospital stay isn't serious?) it's good to know how your hospital stacks up against others in the area. Patrick Malone & Associates has compiled key metrics for major hospitals in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Click on the hospital's location on the map here, and you'll instantly see some key numbers for that hospital and how they compare with other hospitals.
Map Key
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Better Than The National Average
Worse Than The National Average
What does this mean? This metric is an average of the time patients spent waiting in the emergency department before being seen by a healthcare professional.
Why is this important? An emergency of any kind should be treated with urgency. Depending on the health complication, a few minutes could mean the difference between life and death. It’s important that a hospital is able to provide timely emergency room care.
What does this mean? This percentage is a measure of patients who returned to the hospital within 30 days of discharge.
Why is this important? A hospital with a high readmission rate may not be properly treating patients, or could be creating additional complications for patients which require them to return to the hospital for further treatment.
What does this mean? This ratio is a percentage of patients with low-back pain who received an MRI before trying recommended treatments first.
Why is this important? Unnecessary MRI’s result in additional medical expenses. If the hospital is giving patients MRI’s they don’t need at an excessive rate, then they are likely profiting from unnecessary imaging.
What does this mean? This metric is a percentage of patients who developed a blood clot while in the hospital and did not receive treatment.
Why is this important? Blood clots can be life threatening if not properly treated. A hospital that fails to treat blood clots in a timely manner may negligently cause harm or death to patients.
What does this mean? This metric is a percentage of mothers whose baby deliveries were scheduled too early. The lower the percentage the better the hospital performed.
Why is this important? This metric is important, because an early birth (1-2 weeks early) could lead to a higher risk of health complications in infants. A hospital with a high percentage of early deliveries could potentially cause your baby harm.
What does this mean? The patient satisfaction rating is an average of consumer ratings given on a five-point scale. The ratings are based on HCAHPS surveys.
Why is this important? Hospitals differ in quality of care and the services they provide. Patient satisfaction ratings allow consumers to compare hospitals and their level of quality with a more uniform standard.
