The 2018 Report to the Nation highlights large variation in patient outcomes among U.S. hospitals. To compile the report, Healthgrades assessed the performance of nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals for 34 common conditions and procedures.
Here are three takeaways from the report.
1. Patients treated at a hospital with a five-star rating have a lower death risk and complication risk than those treated at a one-star hospital for the same procedure or condition.
2. From 2014 to 2016, 219,568 deaths and 164,454 complications could potentially have been prevented if all hospitals in the assessment provided care at the level of five-star hospitals.
3. Hospitals located within the same area can have major differences in complication and death rates for the same condition or procedure.
“Many consumers believe that hospital quality is standardized, though the reality is that clinical quality and outcomes at hospitals vary widely across the country,” said Brad Bowman, MD, CMO of Healthgrades. “Consumers can arm themselves with trusted information and tools like the new Healthgrades analysis to determine their best choices for care.”
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