Some Oklahoma hospitals need work, study finds
Infection prevention rated
BY VALLERY BROWN
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Published: May 8, 2009
Some Oklahoma hospitals aren’t doing enough to prevent surgery patients from developing infections, according to a report released by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine.
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Compliance rates
Here’s a look at some hospitals’ compliance in administering an antibiotic at least an hour before a surgical incision is made:
Low scores
(79 percent compliance and below):
• Tahlequah City Hospital: 24 percent
• Southwestern Medical Center, Lawton: 68 percent
• Stillwater Medical Center: 71 percent High scores (95 percent compliance or higher):
• Mercy Health Center, Oklahoma City: 99 percent
• Duncan Regional Hospital: 99 percent
• Southcrest Hospital, Tulsa: 99 percent
• Tahlequah City Hospital: 24 percent
• Southwestern Medical Center, Lawton: 68 percent
• Stillwater Medical Center: 71 percent High scores (95 percent compliance or higher):
• Mercy Health Center, Oklahoma City: 99 percent
• Duncan Regional Hospital: 99 percent
• Southcrest Hospital, Tulsa: 99 percent
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Figures used in report called out of date
Dinah Lazarde, director of quality and risk for Southwestern Medical Center in Lawton, said her hospital’s score of 68 percent in administering antibiotics before surgery was primarily because of documentation errors.
Those problems have been corrected and the next round of scores should be around 93 percent when they are reported in just over a week. The hospital’s surgical infection rate for 2008 was 0.4 percent, she said.
Tahlequah City Hospital reported similar documentation difficulties, said Donna Dallis, vice president of performance improvement. She anticipates their fourth-quarter results will be around 97 percent compliance.
But Bratzler said if a hospital claims its low numbers are due to documentation errors, there could be other issues at stake.
"If a patient gets an infection, and you can’t document that you gave an antibiotic at the right time, how do you defend yourself?” he asked.
Related Topics:
Health and Fitness, Medicine, Business, Medical Treatments and Procedures, Consumer Protection, Surgery
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