How we rate hospitals: The basics

Our hospital Ratings help you compare hospitals based on patient experience and patient outcomes. Here are some answers to questions you might have about our Ratings.

How do your hospital Ratings differ from information available elsewhere?

Our Ratings come from scientifically based data on patient experience and outcomes gathered from public sources. Some of that information is available in other formats. For example, you can see the federal government's version of patient experience and readmissions data on its Hospital Compare website. Similarly, a number of states report data on hospital-acquired infections. But ConsumerReportsHealth.org is the only source that collects all the data in one place and summarizes it in an easy-to-interpret format.

How can your hospital Ratings help me get better care?

They can help you compare hospitals in your area so you can choose the one that's best for you. Even if you don't have a choice of hospitals, our Ratings can alert you to particular concerns so you can take steps to prevent them no matter which hospital you go to. For example, if a hospital scores low in communicating with patients about what to do when they're discharged, you should ask about discharge planning at the hospital you chose and make sure you know what to do when you leave.

How can you compare hospitals if patients in some are sicker than those in others?

Our Ratings have been statistically adjusted to minimize differences among hospitals due to the types of patients they serve. For example, scores for bloodstream infections and surgical-site infections were adjusted based on where the patients were treated (which intensive-care unit, for example) and type of surgery. Scores related to the chance of readmission and patient experience were also adjusted based on the health status of patients.

Why can't I find my hospital in your Ratings?

Our Ratings have information on over 4,000 hospitals. If a hospital you're looking for isn't listed, it could be for several reasons. Some report data under a parent company, so they might not show up as individual facilities. Others may have changed names during the reporting period. And some hospitals, mostly smaller ones, might not have sufficient data for any of our Ratings categories.

What about patient privacy?

Our hospital Ratings are comprised of data available to the public from several sources. But none of the information can be used to identify specific individuals.

See more information on our Ratings of patient experience and patient outcomes. For detailed information on our statistical methodology, see our Hospital Ratings Technical Report.