Letter to the Editor

Misleading headline

Tue, 04/08/2014 - 1:00pm

Dear Editor:

The Boothbay Register's headline about Consumer Report's evaluation of Miles Hospital/aka LincolnHealth, "Consumer Report names LincolnHealth best in United States," is misleading in the extreme.

The actual report named the hospital as  top in its "Safety Score" evaluation, which was based on numbers of patients who died of certain illnesses within 30 days; those who died in the hospital after surgery; those who had best cleanliness-procedural scores; those who ordered fewer repeated scans or test; and those who communicated most with patients. Not as "best" for example in diagnosis, improvement or cure.

It did not weigh for the severity of illnesses or surgical results, which is notable since Miles transfers many complicated medical or surgical situations to hospitals with more highly, varied and deeply trained staff — sometimes to Maine Med, for instance, or Midcoast; sometimes to Boston. It is a small campus with a wealth of hospitals with up-to-the-minute equipment and personnel within reach. Hence the greater “safety” score than many others which have a greater intake of the seriously ill who cannot be sent elsewhere.

It is disingenuous and deceptive as well to print that front page article as submitted by an employee or member of LincolnHealth writing under its direction and presumably pay, rather than by an independent investigative reporter who can dig for the facts, for what the news therein really is, and present it accurately.

Rhoda Weyr
Boothbay