The first and easiest thing he needs to do is schedule a visit to the front office of any Maryland hospital, and check for the level of customer service. A lot of times the front staff are a mirror to the culture of the hospital. If they are shorthanded and overworked and rarely smile. It is a reflection on the way the hospital is run by the administrators on the inside.
In the era of accessible technology, he can check if the hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission. The listing of the hospital guarantees the adherence to ethics and standards of the Medical board and Commission. Certain data is collected across the board of all hospitals, which is then published in medical journals.
Completing surveys and signing waivers by majority of patients allows the hospital to track their own record: in the areas of customer service, patient-to-nurse ratio, the hospital’s specialty. These results are made public, a lot of times on the hospital’s website.
According to Andrew Auerbach of the University of California, San Francisco and lead author of the 2009 cardiac outcomes study. “Mortality rates, length of stay and readmission rates are the global indicators of how well a hospital works”. We are all aware of the importance of studies and research being used in establishments in order to give a report card. It allows companies to use their data to make progress, and to revisit structures in place that are not working.
Another important factor is to review the data of surgeries performed, with adherence to the health and safety compliance of the medical board. Just because you have received an award for most surgeries performed, does not translate into competence.
Just because it is a hospital does not mean, he cannot advocate for himself. He must ask the obvious and uncomfortable questions: does the doctor take the time to view your chart ahead of time and give the best advice. Are the anesthesiologists and surgeons accessible? What is the patient-nurse, and the patient-doctor ratio. What are the recuperation standards, how long can the patient stay in the hospital, without the patient losing coverage of the insurance carrier.
The hospital system in the current years has become a business. The patient is at the mercy of the insurance company. And we all know that they are always trying to save money, henceforth, it is vital that the patient has accessibility to the doctor and surgeon pre and post-surgery.
The distinguished Newsweek magazine ranked hospitals in 2019. Maryland performed at the high percentile of hospitals listed in the country. Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland Medical center were ranked numbers 4, and 76 respectively out of 226 hospitals in the United States of America. This is an indication that Maryland hospitals are excelling in the areas of medical care of their patients. The doctors and surgeons in Maryland hospitals are accessible to their patients. They make patients and their family feel comfortable and confident in choosing a reputable hospital.
Medical Provider Analysis and Review, this data file contains information of all Medicare beneficiaries of the inpatient hospital system. It is available from the Center of Medicare and Medicaid services.He can log into the government website that deals with Healthcare cost and utilization projects.
He can also seek the services of a healthcare watchdog organization like hospitalwatchdog.org. The organization specializes in healthcare malpractice, and patient knowledge and rights. The organization is also available to share data of hospitals that observe best practices, hospitals that hire and maintain the best doctors, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and hospital staff.