Database tracks patient feedback, medical mistakes at hospitals

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A new federal database is tracking patient feedback and medical mistakes at local hospitals.

Eyewitness News pored over the information comparing local hospitals listed on the website for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

"We asked hospitals to report this information for two reasons: one, to focus on measurement and improvement, and two, so patients and consumers would have the information available," said Patrick Conway with DHHS.

At Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill, S.C., the database said the rate of objects left behind in patients' bodies after surgery was four times higher than the national average -- about 1 in every 10,000 patients.

Several CMC campuses also had errors listed.

CMC-Main had rates of accidental cuts and tears from medical treatment, and deaths among patients with serious treatable complications higher than the national average.

CMC-Mercy reported urinary catheter infections eight times higher than the national average.

CMC-University listed patients' falls and injuries two and half times higher than the national average.

CMC-Lincoln reported uncontrolled blood sugar incidents in patients that were seven times higher than the national average.

Eyewitness News also found higher-than-average rates of problems at multiple campuses of Presbyterian Hospital.

Presbyterian-Huntersville reported uncontrolled blood sugar rates at six times the national average.

Presbyterian-Matthews listed blood infections in patients from their catheters occurred at a rate three times higher than average.

Presbyterian-Orthopaedic Hospital reported patients' falls and injuries four times the national average.

Channel 9 reached out to officials at Piedmont, CMC and Presbyterian.

A CMC spokesman sent the following statement:

"CHS maintains a constant focus on providing safe and high quality healthcare and monitors its performance on a regular basis.  When the goal is perfection, any miss is a disappointment. We are making and have made progress, but the journey never ends.  The Hospital Compare web site's most recent data is 20 months old.  In 2011, we put in place a number of initiatives to address Patient Safety Indicators, including those items mentioned, and across the Charlotte Metro facilities results have improved by 28.5%.  The quality of care at CHS has been verified in the 15 Top Health Systems report released in January 2012 by the independent firm of Thomson Reuters, which places CHS in the top 20% percent of large health systems nationally for quality outcomes."


Presbyterian officials released this statement:

"Presbyterian Healthcare supports public reporting of hospital quality and performance data and is transparent in providing this information for patients on our website. We take the reported data very seriously and review it extensively to identify our opportunities for improvement. Providing safe, high-quality care and a remarkable patient experience are our top priorities. Hospital Compare tracks many clinical and patient satisfaction measurements. We are pleased to say that, for most of these, Presbyterian Healthcare hospitals are among the top performers nationally. For those measures where we have opportunity for improvement, we continue to strive for high clinical quality and promote heightened safety initiatives."


Piedmont Medical Center released this statement:

"Piedmont Medical Center takes its responsibility to deliver quality, safe, healthcare services.  During the period of October 2008 to June 2010, the hospital had one instance where an object was inadvertently left in a patient’s body following surgery. The patient was notified and all appropriate corrective measures were taken."

WSOC