About patient safety and quality care at Mass General Brigham
As an integrated health system that offers high-quality care at every stage of the health journey, we actively assess, evaluate, and report on the quality of care provided at our institutions. We leverage robust systems to both inform our providers about best practices and to ensure that the care our patients receive meets the highest quality and safety standards.
When it comes to evaluating the quality of care we deliver, the voice of the patient is a vital gauge that helps us to:
- Continue to enhance our performance
- Ensure an excellent experience that prioritizes patient needs and goals
- Define best practices for care
- Raise the standard across all Mass General Brigham institutions
The importance of measuring patient safety and quality of care
To make informed decisions, it is important for patients to have the ability to compare quality care data across health care institutions, within our system and elsewhere.
As the largest health care network in New England, our influence extends beyond our hospitals and care institutions. By collecting patient safety and quality care data system-wide, we have access to the information we need to bring innovation to more Mass General Brigham patients. In turn, the knowledge we generate helps other institutions adopt new treatments and better practices across the spectrum of care.
Through measurement practices, we have proven to:
- Shorten hospital stays
- Lower the rate of readmissions
- Deliver treatment with fewer complications
All these factors make for a faster road to recovery and lower costs without sacrificing quality.
The data we collect across the system also helps us improve safety protocols, leverage technology to reduce risk, and provide the right training to the right staff. By making this data publicly available, we can empower patients to become experts in their own health and make informed decisions in partnership with our providers.
Mass General Brigham delivers comprehensive breadth and depth of care. This includes services ranging from primary care to behavioral health, complex specialty care and subspecialty care, as well as rehabilitation services, home-based services and other services. This enables a whole-patient perspective to the way we deliver and manage care, which helps reduce complications, avoid hospitalizations, and keep patients healthier longer.
In addition to measuring outcomes, we regularly survey our patients to learn more about their specific experiences at our member institutions and affiliate hospitals, including the effectiveness of our communication, the interaction with their doctors, and the timeliness of their care. We have found one measure to be particularly illuminating: how willing are patients to recommend their hospital to family and friends.
Research and education are two of the main pillars that define our mission and values. The knowledge produced by our care institutions benefits patients across the industry in the form of new treatments, improved practices, and effective quality and safety protocols. Mass General Brigham serves as the foundation for an infrastructure that brings innovation right to the patient, where it can make the most difference.