Six months of inspections at Doylestown Hospital: September 2023 to February
Doylestown Hospital was cited for failing to check that a patient was stable before transferring them to another facility in January.
Doylestown Hospital was cited for multiple safety violations during on-site investigations by state inspectors between September 2023 and February.
Here’s a look at the publicly available details:
Oct. 3, 2023: Inspectors found the hospital in compliance during a follow-up to a previous citation over a newly renovated building. In July 2023, the hospital was cited for treating a patient in a recently renovated unit before the state approved the unit for meeting all building and safety requirements.
Jan. 18: The hospital was cited for transferring a patient to another facility without confirming they were stable. Inspectors found staff had failed to document the patient’s vital signs before they were put in an ambulance. The hospital updated its transfer policy to require that staff check patients’ vital signs within an hour of transferring them to another facility. Inspectors also cited the hospital for failing to promptly investigate a patient’s complaint. Inspectors found that administrators had received a patient complaint on Nov. 12, 2023 and responded by email within days to let the family know they were investigating, but never followed up. The hospital said it would update its grievance database to better track that complaints are resolved within 30 days.
Feb. 28: Inspectors cited the hospital for failing to document that a patient who left against medical advice had been urged to stay. Staff are required to ask patients to sign a form acknowledging that they are leaving against medical advice, and note in the patient’s file if they refuse to sign. The hospital reviewed the requirement with nurses and agreed to audit patient records for at least three months.
Pennsylvania Department of Health routinely inspects hospitals to ensure the facility is safe for patients and that staff are following all safety protocols. Inspectors may also visit when a hospital staff member or patient files a complaint.
Not all safety violations spark an on-site investigation from inspectors. Hospitals are required to self-report the most serious safety violations and often work directly with the state to address them. Complaint details are not made public when inspectors determine it was unfounded.
The Inquirer tracks publicly available hospital reports related to a complaint, special monitoring, and general safety inspections. The Inquirer does not track inspections for new equipment or occupancy surveys, unless problems are identified.
Inspection reports are publicly available online and are released 40 days after the report is completed.
The Inquirer is publishing roundups of state inspection reports for Pa. hospitals in our coverage area.
