December 4, 2025- Patient safety throughout hospitals and health systems across the nation continues to improve, according to a new data analysis of key safety and quality metrics from Q4 2019 to Q2 2025 released December 4 by the American Hospital Association (AHA) and Vizient®.
The analysis, which includes new data and builds on a report AHA published last September powered by Vizient data, shows that despite caring for a sicker patient population, hospitals’ focus on safety has led to improved patient outcomes and reduced infections.
Key findings
- Hospitals improved patient outcomes. Hospitalized patients in Q2 2025 were nearly 30% more likely to survive than expected given the severity of their illnesses compared to Q4 2019.
- Hospitals saved more lives. Based on Vizient’s analysis and national hospitalization data, the AHA projects that hospitals’ efforts to improve safety led to more than 300,000 Americans hospitalized from April 2024 through March 2025 surviving episodes of care they wouldn’t have in 2019.
- Hospitals cared for more patients with greater complexity. Hospitals cared for 4% more patients in Q2 2025 than in Q4 2019. These patients also had more complex and severe conditions. Specifically, case mix index increased by 5% during this period.
- Hospitals reduced infections: In Q2 2025, rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) were 24% lower than Q4 2019. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) decreased 25% during that period.
- Hospitals significantly increased preventive cancer screenings: Key screenings for breast and colorectal cancer increased 95% from Q4 2019 to Q2 2025.