Serious Adverse Events Increased for Patients at Hospitals Owned by Private Equity Firms, Study Shows

Hospital-acquired adverse events increased by 25 percent after private equity acquisition, according to a recent Harvard study.

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Patients receiving care at hospitals owned by private equity firms were more likely to experience hospital-acquired adverse events, including falls, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections, according to a large study by Harvard researchers.

The study, published Dec. 26 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), examined changes in the quality of care and patient outcomes associated with private equity ownership of U.S. hospitals from 2009 to 2019.