Leapfrog Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey Results are used to educate consumers and purchasers about the safety and quality of healthcare facilities in their community so they can choose the best place for their care. When consumers have the opportunity to choose a hospital or surgery center in advance of a procedure, such as a newborn delivery or total joint replacement surgery, they are highly encouraged to consult Leapfrog's facility ratings and speak with their doctor about the facilities available to them. However, since an emergency could strike at any time, consumers are also encouraged to consult Leapfrog's Hospital Safety Grades to educate themselves on the safety of their local hospitals so they can be prepared if an emergency happens.
Hospitals and ASCs that voluntarily submit their data to the Leapfrog Hospital and ASC Surveys are to be commended for their commitment to transparency and for making critical information available to consumers and purchasers about the safety and quality of the care they provide. Patients should be concerned if they see their local hospital or surgery center has declined to respond to the Surveys and are withholding critical information from their community.
In addition to publicly reporting the Survey Results from participating hospitals and ASCs, Leapfrog and other entities use the Survey Results in several ways:
- To recognize the highest quality hospitals and ASCs through our Leapfrog Top Hospitals and Leapfrog Top ASC Awards
- To help employers and purchasers identify the best facilities for their employees' health care needs and work with health plans to design benefits packages that steer employees towards the safest and highest quality hospitals and surgery centers
- To help those insured by our employer and purchaser members choose the right place for their care by integrating hospital and surgery center Survey Results on health plan websites and in other transparency tools
- To help health plans identify high-value care through the Leapfrog Value-Based Purchasing Program
- To educate consumers on the safety of hospitals in their community with the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade