Higher death rate in patients making emergency visits to private equity hospitals in US: Study

NEW DELHI, Sept 25: A study that looked at death rates among patients in the emergency departments of US hospitals has found an increase of seven additional ones per 10,000 visits in facilities acquired by private equity firms. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School and the universities of Pittsburgh and Chicago cite cuts in salary and staffing levels — potentially impacting care for high-risk patients — as a likely reason for the increase in death rates. The findings, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, offer concrete evidence on the link between higher mortality in patients with a healthcare ownership model driven by a motive of making profit. “Staffing cuts are one of the common strategies used to generate financial returns for the firm and its investors,