Leapfrog Group rates outpatient hospital and surgical facilities

With more than 60% of surgeries now performed in outpatient settings, the Leapfrog Group has added outpatient hospital facilities and ambulatory surgery centers to the organizations it rates. Leapfrog, which is known for its analyses of hospital quality and safety, examined voluntarily submitted survey data from 1,462 facilities and released aggregate findings rather than individual ratings in its inaugural report. Among those findings, more than a third of clinicians working in surveyed outpatient facilities lacked board certification, traditionally seen as a measure of expertise. Antimicrobial stewardship in ambulatory surgery centers also arose as an area of concern. (Healthcare Dive story, 10/22/19)