I used to write code for medical devices. One of the things I learned during my time at the firm was that some hospitals are better than others. Like.. signif

I used to write code for medical devices. One of the things I learned during my time at the firm was that some hospitals are better than others. Like.. significantly better. So the question then becomes: How do I, as a consumer of healthcare, tell them apart? Well, patient survival rate and causes of death are never published (hospitals hide behind HIPAA to avoid revealing this info, even in aggregate). But one way we found (empirical & anecdotal evidence, so treat accordingly) is to look down the ward and see if the nurse-call lights flashing for more than a few minutes. If the patients are pushing the bedside button and not getting attention from the care-givers, find yourself another hospital. Another good way is to see if the staff are frequently washing their hands and cleaning the equipment that can be moved from room to room (the plastics used typically have silver ions in them, but that's only partially effective at killing the wee beasties). Family involvement is also critical. If you're wonked out on drugs, you really need someone in the room watching the staff to ensure they do things correctly, and that the bill doesn't get padded with goods & services that weren't used in your care.