(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study reveals the quality of maternity and
cardiac care for women is extremely inconsistent because of large variations
among hospitals.
HealthGrades, a leading independent healthcare ratings organization, has
released it’s fifth annual Women’s Health in American Hospitals study aimed at
analyzing the quality of care for women at U.S. hospitals across 17 states. The
study focused on women giving birth and women being treated for heart disease
and stroke.
The maternity care portion of the study found women who give birth at top rated
hospitals have 76 percent few complications during C-section birth and 51
percent fewer complications for vaginal birth compared to women giving birth at
poor rated hospitals.
Women being treated for cardiovascular disease at top rated hospitals had a 40
percent lower risk-adjusted mortality than women being treated at poor rated
hospitals.
“It is imperative, based on the huge difference in the quality indentified in
our study, that women research their local hospital’s clinical outcomes before
choosing where to receive their care,” Samantha Collier, M.D., lead study author
and HealthGrades chief medical officer was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: HealthGrades, published online June 24, 2008
