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Before the pandemic, hospitals in the U.S. were making notable progress in the effort to address flagging patient safety and care quality metrics. And that effort paid off — adverse events and safety and quality issues plummeted in the decade before Covid-19.
But the latest numbers available demonstrated a reversal in that trend, as hospitals and healthcare systems facing unprecedented labor gaps, falling reimbursement rates, and patient leakage found themselves unable to maintain momentum in the fight for better safety and quality.
And although the pandemic may have been one catalyst for declining quality and safety, driving these trends are systemic issues that have plagued healthcare for decades. Care delivery remains fragmented, with poor coordination and communication between providers, patients, and caregivers. Piecemeal patient engagement and education inhibits adherence and self-management, leading to preventable complications and readmissions. Moreover, persistent health inequities and disparities exacerbate these challenges, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations and undermining efforts to improve quality and safety.