U.S. Hospital Outcomes Vary Widely

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However, making such an assessment is not easy, because often the most sophisticated hospitals -- those found at academic centers -- often receive the sickest patients, Katz said.

"It would be unfair to penalize a hospital for a high death rate if that related not to the hospital, but to what is called 'case mix' -- the prevailing severity of illness among patients seen," he explained.

However, the report is useful in two ways, Katz said. "First, it gives the consumers of health-care knowledge needed to make better choices. Second, by revealing disparities in hospital performance, the report is a mandate to all hospitals to aim for the highest standards achievable," he said.

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All too often, medical practice standards simply adhere to the average and do not strive for excellence, Katz said. "By showing us all how well hospitals can perform, and how poorly they sometimes do, HealthGrades is providing not so much a critique as an opportunity," he said.

"The next step is to identify what practices enable certain hospitals to achieve optimal performance, so that those practices can be widely shared," Katz said. "Our collective goal should be that the highest standard of health care achievable is, quite simply, standard health care and accessible to all. This report is a step in that direction."

More information

To see the full report, visit HealthGrades (www.healthgrades.com ).

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