A significant study recently published in JAMA reveals that hospitals acquired by private equity investment firms have experienced a notable increase in serious medical complications.
The research focused on the impact of these acquisitions on patient care and found that within three years of being purchased by a private equity fund, there was a 25 percent increase in adverse events, such as surgical infections and bed sores, among Medicare patients. These figures were drawn in comparison to similar hospitals not owned by such investors. Alarmingly, the study also reported a nearly 38 percent rise in central line infections, which are considered preventable and should not occur, as well as a 27 percent increase in patient falls during hospital stays. This data underscores growing concerns about the quality of patient care in hospitals under private equity ownership.
