Hospital outcomes are always a good thing to keep tabs on, should you ever find yourself in a position in need of a medical care.
The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council issued a performance report this week for in-state hospitals on the four most common procedures — knee replacements, spinal fusion, hip replacement and coronary artery bypass graft.
The report investigates the odds of death following these surgeries, the rate of surgical complications and price, in an effort to help patients make informed decisions on where they seek care. The report notes whether those rates are significantly higher than expected, significantly lower than expected or not significantly different than expected.
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For knee replacements, the statewide complication rate is 1.5 percent of cases. Four Philadelphia-area hospitals – Abington Memorial (now Abington – Jefferson Health), Jefferson Health Northeast, Pottstown and Springfield Crozer – had complication rates are significantly higher than expected, according to the council's report. Two – Penn Presbyterian and Rothman Orthopaedic – had a complication rate that was significantly lower than expected.
For hip replacements, the statewide complication rate is 1.9 percent of cases. Two Philadelphia-area hospitals – Hahnemann and Temple – had complication rates significantly higher than expected. Two others – Riddle Memorial and Rothman Orthopaedic – had a complication rate that was significantly lower than expected.
For spinal fusions, the statewide complication rate is 1.8 percent of cases. One Philadelphia-area hospital – Pennsylvania Hospital – had a complication rate significantly higher than expected.
For coronary artery bypass graft, the statewide complication rate is 1.5 percent of cases. All Philadelphia-area hospitals had complication rates not significantly different than expected.
View the state’s full report here and learn more about statistics regarding readmission for complications of CABP and post-operative patient stay lengths. The report also outlines the average costs for each of the procedures at nearly every Pennsylvania hospital.