The state of Florida has put inspection reports and the results of complaint investigations for most health facilities online, allowing the public to simply review them at a moment's notice rather than having to file a public-records request to get them. The database will include reports on 32,000 hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, surgery centers, dialysis units and more. Officials are posting all reports written after June 1. Consumers will be able to look at reports from annual inspections, complaint investigations, safety inspections and unannounced visits, which will include information on violations such as lack of cleanliness, medical mistakes and procedural errors. The state's providers, meanwhile, had mixed reactions, with some suggesting that the reports would be misleading since they won't have a chance to respond.
To learn more about the state's plans:
- read this South Florida Sun-Sentinel piece [1]
Related Articles:
MN group posts hospital prices to web [2]
PA hospitals' margins up, but uncompensated care rises [3]
PA first to report hospital-specific infection rates [4]
Links:
[1] http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/custom/consumer/sfl-flzinspect0813sbaug13,0,3271453.story
[2] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/mn-group-posts-hospital-prices-to-web/2006-10-04
[3] http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/pa-hospitals-margins-uncompensated-care-rises/2008-06-17
[4] http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/pa-first-to-report-hospital-specific-infection-rates/2006-11-16