'Critical Access' Hospitals Show Higher Patient Mortality
Major Finding: At critical access hospitals, 30-day mortality was 7.3% higher for patients with acute MI, 2.5% higher for patients with CHF, and 2% higher for patients with pneumonia than it was at other hospitals.
Data Source: A 1-year retrospective analysis of outcomes in 4,738 U.S. hospitals, including 1,268 critical access hospitals, for more than 2.3 million admissions for CHF, AMI, and pneumonia.
Disclosures: One of Dr. Joynt’s associates reported ties to UpToDate and Humedica. No other financial conflicts of interest were disclosed.
FROM JAMA
Dr. Lipsky and Dr. Glasser are in the department of community and family medicine at the University of Illinois, Rockford. Dr. Glasser is also at the National Center for Rural Health Professions, Rockford. Dr. Lipsky was formerly on the board of the Midwest Medical Center, Galena, Ill. Dr. Glasser reported ties to the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network.
