Top-Rated Hospitals Continue to Deliver Better Care
But analysis calls gap between these and lower-tier facilities 'disappointing.'
|
E-mail this article
Subscribe to news
Printer friendly version
|
(SOURCE: HealthGrades, news release, Jan. 31, 2008)
THURSDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Patients admitted to the top-rated hospitals in the United States have an average 27 percent lower risk of dying than patients admitted to other hospitals in the country, a new study shows.
Released Thursday by HealthGrades, an independent health-care ratings organization, the analysis of 27 procedures and diagnoses also found that patients who have surgery at the top-rated hospitals have an average 5 percent lower risk of complications during their hospital stay.
For this study, researchers analyzed nearly 41 million hospitalizations in 2004, 2005 and 2006 at all 4,971 of the nation's non-federal hospitals. If all hospitals had the quality of care of the top 5 percent of those hospitals, 171,424 lives may have been saved, and 9,671 major complications may have been avoided during the three years studied.
The study also found that the top 5 percent of hospitals lowered their in-hospital risk-adjusted death rates over those three years by an average of 15 percent.
The procedures and diagnoses included in the analysis included: cardiac surgery; angioplasty and stenting; heart attack; heart failure; atrial fibrillation; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; community-acquired pneumonia; stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; bowel obstruction; gastrointestinal bleeding; pancreatitis; diabetic acidosis and coma; pulmonary embolism; and sepsis.
Dr. Samantha Collier, HealthGrades chief medical officer, said, "The data in this year's study clearly indicates that the gap between top-performing hospitals and others persists. This disparity in the quality of care at U.S. hospitals is disappointing."
The top-rated hospitals "have proven that consistently delivering top-notch medical care is possible, and it is time for the rest to follow suit," Collier said in a prepared statement.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers Hospital Compare.
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved. 
HealthDayNews articles are derived from various sources and do not reflect federal policy. healthfinder.gov does not endorse opinions, products, or services that may appear in news stories. For more information on health topics in the news, visit the healthfinder.gov health library.