In a report to the state legislature, Health Department officials in Rhode Island recently declared that hospitals in the state are "under stress." Officials visited 14 hospitals from January through August of this year, spending several days a week studying the hospitals' operations.
What surveyors found was shocking. Few hospitals were abiding by the rules and those that did were faced with "stresses" that health officials feel will contribute to inadequate care. Investigators admitted that many of the problems are beyond the hospitals' control. A surplus of patients, combined with a shortage of staff and ever-increasing administrative burdens compound the problem. Older patients who don't speak English bring additional strain.
Health officials are concerned that these burdens will eventually lead to unacceptable mistakes. But hospitals say that increased scrutiny will simply disrupt their operations. Hospitals claim they will implement programs to catch mistakes before they occur.