Quality Markers Do Not Decline After Hospital Closures
When hospitals close, death rates and other quality markers generally do not appear to worsen, according to a study published Monday in Health Affairs. The researchers found that the changes in death rates for Medicare beneficiaries in areas where hospitals closed were no different from those in similar locations where a hospital had not closed.
- "Patients Not Hurt When Their Hospitals Close, Study Finds" (Rau, Kaiser Health News, 5/4).