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Your hospital could make you sick – learn how to stay safe before you go

Consumer Reports magazine recently released ratings of infection rates at more than 3,000 hospitals in the United States. Only nine of them did well.

Consumer Reports magazine recently released ratings of infection rates at more than 3,000 hospitals in the United States. Only nine of them did well.

A summary of the ratings is available for free on the Consumer Reports website. A subscription is needed for a full report.

What can you do to protect yourself? Consumer Reports has posted a video on its website that describes six ways to make an infection during a hospital stay less likely. Among them, you should familiarize yourself with hotspots for germs in hospital rooms and on medical equipment, ask for alternative surgery preparations when appropriate, get tested for MRSA, and, of course, make sure that every health care worker you come into contact with washes their hands. Don't be afraid to be direct with your health care providers in asking questions about your care and about infection control measures.

The underlying theme in the video is the importance of empowering patients to make them active participants in their care. The hospital ratings give patients information they can use in choosing a hospital and, once there, to prepare for the visit with questions to ask the personnel.

The data used in the ratings has some limitations. For example, many big-name hospitals with top reputations did not fare well because they may report infections more accurately than others and see sicker patients who need more complex procedures.

Nevertheless, reports like this one can help move infection prevention forward. If patients are equipped with information to make sound choices, hospitals may have an additional incentive to improve their infection prevention practices. Health care-associated infections showed a decline earlier this year. Competition among hospitals to achieve better rates may help to make the decline continue.

The message is clear. Before entering a hospital, empower yourself with information, ask questions, and stay informed about your care throughout your stay. The health care system is vast and intimidating. Learning more about your care is one of the best ways to protect yourself.

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Marcelo H. Fernandez-Viña is a third-year law student at Drexel's Thomas R. Kline School of Law, concentrating in health law.

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