Hospital report cards: Careggi, Humanitas and Marche hospitals top for care

Careggi in Florence, Humanitas in Rozzano and the azienda ospedaliera universitaria delle Marche are the hospitals with the best performance in the care of their patients. The numbers and assessment of the hospitals' care are contained in the latest National Outcomes Plan drawn up by Agenas, which surveyed the activities of almost 1400 public and private hospitals. In 2023, the hospital system recorded a further increase in hospitalisations, which return to almost 8 million (312,000 more than in 2022), almost in line with the values recorded before the pandemic: but there is still a shortfall of 8% of admissions to return to 2019 levels.

As mentioned, under the lens of the National Agency for Regional Health Services came 1363 public and private hospitals, which were assessed on the basis of a whole series of indicators - from the volume of operations to the ability to treat in a short time, especially for 'time-dependent' pathologies (from heart attacks to hip fractures) - with the assessments divided into 8 clinical areas. In 2023, 70% of the facilities were assessed by Agenas, compared to 66% in 2022 for about 90% of the admissions in the clinical areas considered. In particular, out of 950 facilities assessed by direct comparison of the maps, three show assessment with high or very high quality in all the areas considered and for all the indicators calculated. In particular: the Careggi di Firenze, assessed with high or very high quality in all 8 domains considered and for all indicators calculated. The Irccs Humanitas Rozzano (Milan) and the Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche (Ancona) assessed with high or very high quality in all 7 fields present in the structure and for all the indicators calculated.

According to the new Pne report by Agenas, the timeliness of access (calculated within 90 minutes) to coronary angioplasty surgery in heart attack patients is increasing. The proportion of interventions performed within 90' in hospitals exceeded the standard threshold of 60 per cent in 2023, rising from an average value of 57 per cent in 2022 to 63 per cent in 2023. In particular, the high-volume facilities (more than 100 admissions for heart attacks per year) that ensured timely access to more than 85% of patients are the Barone Barone Romeo hospital in Patti (Me), the Treviso hospital, and the G. Pasquinucci Heart Hospital (Ms). On the other hand, no less than 14 hospitals have an intervention threshold within 90 minutes that is 40% below the minimum standard of 60%. Among those with the worst results - from 30% down - are the Giaccone Hospital in Palermo, the San Giuliano Hospital in Naples and the Monaldi Hospital, also in Naples, as well as the SS. Annunziata Hospital in Sassari, the San Paolo Hospital in Savona and the Riuniti Hospital in Reggio Calabria.

A total of 35 of the high-volume facilities showed values at or above the 60 per cent threshold in 2023 and in the previous 3 years in the intervention within 90 minutes of a heart attack. In the North there are 17: Maria Vittoria Hospital (To), Santa Croce Hospital (To), Ospedale degli Infermi (Bi), Sondrio Hospital, Bolognini Hospital (Bg), PO di Chiari (Bs), Fondazione Poliambulanza (Bs), C. Poma (Mn), Central Hospital of Bolzano, S. Chiara (Tn), Sant'Andrea Hospital (Sp), Maggiore C.A. Pizzardi Hospital (Bo), Santa Maria delle Croci Hospital (Ra), Morgagni-Pierantoni Hospital (Fc), Infermi Hospital (Rn), Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino - Este (Mo), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (Fe). In Central and Southern Italy, a total of 18 hospitals have reached and exceeded the threshold. They are: Ospedale del Cuore G. Pasquinucci (Ms), Ospedale San Giovanni Battista Foligno (Pg), Stabilimento di Pesaro, Stabilimento di Macerata, Presidio Ospedaliero Nord (Lt), Ospedale F. Spaziani (Fr), Policlinico Casilino (Rm), AOU Policlinico Tor Vergata (Rm), PO Maria SS. Addolorata (Sa), Nursing Home Villa Verde Srl (Ta), Nursing Home Città di Lecce, AOU Mater Domini (Cz), PO S. Giovanni di Dio (Ag), PO Giovanni Paolo II (Ag), PO Barone-Romeo Patti (Me), PO S. Antonio Abate (Tp), Civic Hospital of Palermo, Policlinico Monserrato (Ca).

With regard to the number of admissions for isolated coronary artery bypass surgery (i.e. not associated with other cardiac operations), in 2023 the gap with respect to the pre-pandemic period narrowed further: -5.5%, or about 750 fewer admissions. If the number of cases treated is taken into account, an increase in the number of cardiac surgeries with volumes equal to or above the threshold was observed in 2023: 18 facilities compared to 11 in 2022, with a corresponding value of cases treated amounting to 35% of the total volume (it was 24% in 2022). Here are the hospitals above the standard threshold of 200 operations per year: Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli (RM), A.O. OO.RR. S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona (SA), Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche (AN), Villa Maria Cecilia Hospital (RA), P.O. Clinicizz. SS. Annunziata (CH), Ospedale del Cuore G. Pasquinucci (MC), A.O.U. Mater Domini (CZ), Az. Ospedaliero - Universitaria Careggi (FI), Treviso Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliera Sant'Andrea (RM), Policl. Univ. Campus Bio Medico (RM), Casa di Cura Montevergine (AV), Ospedale di Mestre (VE), Hesperia Hospital Modena Srl (MO), Presidio Osp. Cattinara e Maggiore (TS), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria (PA), Ospedale Civile di Legnano (MI), Presidio Ospedaliero Gaspare Rodolico (CT)