AHRQ National Scorecard on Hospital-Acquired Conditions Updated Baseline Rates and Preliminary Results 2014–2016.
Reducing hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) such as health care-associated infections has been a major focus of quality improvement efforts, motivated in part by Medicare nonpayment and reporting. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HAC rates decreased by just over 20% between 2010 and 2015. In this report, AHRQ estimates that between 2014 and 2016, HAC reduction efforts resulted in an 8% decrease in events, $2.9 billion dollars in savings, and the prevention of about 8,000 deaths. While infections and adverse drug events decreased, pressure ulcers increased and represent an opportunity for further improvement. Overall, this report suggests that HAC reduction efforts continue to be successful.