On behalf of Hastings Law Firm posted in Hospital Negligence on Thursday, July 3, 2014.

Patients in almost any given city might reasonably expect to receive the same level of care from hospital to hospital. However, a recent analysis showed that certain aspects of care varied greatly between two hospitals in the same Texas city. The latter of the two came in last when Texas’ busiest hospitals were ranked for their rate of preventable complications. For some patients who were only hoping to get well, this may have been a result of hospital negligence.

While located relatively close to one another, the first hospital ended up ranking number one in the area for their low rate of patient complications. By contrast, a recent study showed that patients at the second hospital are far more likely to end up with bedsores or even hemorrhages. They’re not just a little more likely to occur, though. These sort of complications occur at a rate of 370 times higher than the first hospital.

This rate was found by utilizing software that compared preventable complications that occurred at Texas’ 100 busiest hospitals. Researchers noted that they adjusted for the severity of health issues in order to paint the most accurate picture possible. In reaction to the study’s release, the hospital with the exceptionally high complication rate did acknowledge that there were areas they could improve upon, but they did not believe that the problem is as severe as researchers claim.

A national expert on the subject of patient safety asserts that with the advances in safety and quality, hospitals do not have any reason to continue producing such high complication rates. However, instances of hospital negligence can still leave patients with potentially harmful preventable complications. For Texas patients who have been injured in an institution that was supposed to only bring them healing, a medical malpractice claim might be an appropriate course of action. The successful litigation of such a claim can provide crucial financial compensation, which can help abate any medical bills related to the alleged negligence and may also help ease any long lasting pain and suffering.

Source: dallasnews.com, “How safe is your hospital? Chance of serious complications varies widely”, Daniel Lathrop, June 21, 2014