Top-Rated Hospitals Continue to Deliver Better Care

February 5, 2008

01.31.08, 12:00 AM ET

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. 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.

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