Thinking about earning a health administration degree? A new survey shows hospitals may need you.

Major improvements need to take place at most U.S. hospitals, says a recent survey from the Leapfrog Group. The voluntary association of employers and health care providers has listed its 41 top picks of hospitals that meet their quality standards. But rather than the strengths of the 41 institutions, it's the weaknesses of the majority that warrant the most attention.

Hospitals Fail Hand-Washing Basics

Only a little over one-third of hospitals that participated in the Leapfrog survey have an adequate hand-washing policy in place. As health administration degree grads can attest, that's bad news when it comes to antibiotic resistant bacteria and infectious diseases.

Most ICUs Give Substandard Care

Less than one-third of hospital Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in the Leapfrog survey use intensive-care specialists. These specialists have been proven to improve patient outcomes, a finding that should be embraced by hospital leaders.

Physicians at only 10% of the hospitals deliver their orders and prescriptions through computers, says the survey. The remaining 90% rely on a mix of verbal, handwritten, and computerized orders, which leaves a scary amount of room for human error.

Think Before Going Under the Knife

Less than 25% of the surveyed hospitals meet Leapfrog Group's standards for high-risk procedures like Bariatric surgery and pancreatic surgery.

Even more disconcerting is that the Leapfrog Group survey is voluntary. As the CEO of Leapfrog says in this week's Wall Street Journal health blog, "We don't even have a good picture of what's happening in those other hospitals."

Enroll in a Health Administration Degree

Are you interested in earning a health administration degree? The University of Phoenix offers online programs and campus-based programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Fill out this information request form to take the first step towards finding a program that's right for you.