53%: the percentage increase in hospitalized patients discharged to home health care between 1997 and 2006, as reported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

21%: the percentage of the 39.5 million patients admitted to hospitals in 2006 who had some mental illness.

$3.9 million: the reduction in prescription drug spending per 100,000 patients per year if physicians exclusively used electronic prescribing systems; currently physicians use these systems about 20% of the time.

1 in 4: the proportion of patients who have an unexpected medical problem after hospital discharge.