Patient harm events happen at an alarming rate, but resources are available to consumers to help them make informed decisions about the care they receive. Being an informed consumer of health care will not only help you protect yourself, but your family and friends, as well. In the following assignment, you review patient safety and quality of care performance measures at institutions in your own area. You analyze the data for similarities and differences, in order to become a better health care consumer. To prepare for this Application Assignment:

• Research health care quality and safety at institutions in your area utilizing the following websites. If you do not live within the U.S., please choose a region of the country, and hospitals in that areaMedicare.gov: Hospital Compare http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/

• The Joint Commission: Quality Check http://www.qualitycheck.org/consumer/searchQCR.aspx To complete this Application Assignment, write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

/23/2015 Academic Assisters’ blog | Provides academic support and assistance to students of all academic levels ­ Part 16 http://academicassistersblog.com/page/16/ 3/13

• Explain how you would use this information to make decisions about your own health care. Resources: National Quality Forum. (2008). Serious reportable events (SREs) transparency, accountability critical to reducing medical errors and harm. Retrieved from http://www.qualityforum.org/Publications/2008/10/Serious_Reportable_Events.aspx Iyer, P. (1/30/2012). Amanda Trujillo: Nurse fired for being a patient advocate. Retrieved from: http://www.avoidmedicalerrors.com/2012/01/amanda-trujillo-nurse-fired-for-being-a-patientadvocate/

• Choose three hospitals in your area for which data exists in both websites. Identify three measures of patient quality and safety from the websites.

• Compare and contrast each hospital’s performance to the other hospitals within and between the two websites.

• Provide possible explanations for any disparities and/or similarities in the records.

• Analyze the most striking features of the statistics you reviewed.