NEW YORK, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- New York City is putting information on infection and death rates at the city's 11 public hospitals on the Internet.
Experts said the move by the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the nation’s largest public health system, is a bold step, The New York Times said Friday.
"Transparency and honesty are not only essential for moving toward better healthcare, they are the first crucial steps," Dr. Donald Berwick, head of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, said in a release from the city.
The data are available at www.nyc.gov/hhc.
The HHC also posted how often the city's public hospitals are following best clinical practices in treating heart attacks and pneumonia, as well as information on public nursing homes.
"While hospitals almost universally market themselves with slogans that tout the quality of their care, very few have actually been willing to share the data that might support those claims." HHC President Alan D. Aviles said.
He said the health system is showing its "willingness to be held publicly accountable for doing all that we can to provide reliable, effective healthcare and to keep our patients safe."
