Examine the information in the safety report from the point of view of a patient. State how patient safety ratings would influence your choice of hospital.

Go to the HealthGrades Web site’s Patient Safety Excellence Award™ Recipients 2014 page and review the Patient Safety report of one of the hospitals listed there. Here’s how:

1. The “Patient Safety Excellence Award™ Recipients 2014” page lists hospitals that received the award. Click one of the hospitals, and you will be taken to that hospital’s Hospital Quality report.
2. Click the report’s Patient Safety tab and scroll down to the “Patient Safety Indicators” table.

Examine the information in the safety report from the point of view of a patient. State how patient safety ratings would influence your choice of hospital. Which, for you, are the most critical indicators? Give reasons citing indicators and results for those chosen indicators. Write your analysis in one page.

Now, think like a risk manager. List the safety indicators that pertain to the high-risk area you selected in Week 1. This will require some research. Chart audits are widely used, but the information in them varies. For example, checking for proper signatures on all forms and orders can be used universally, while daily recording of medication refrigeration temperature will only be used in some areas.

Select a minimum of three and a maximum of four indicators for measurement in your quality improvement program.

For each indicator, include the following information:

Finally, explain how these indicators taken together cover all aspects of quality in the high-risk area.

Put together your analysis of patient safety ratings and your list of indicators.