US News revises Best Hospitals methodology: 6 things to know

U.S. News & World Report said May 20 that it has made significant refinements to its Best Hospitals methodology to reflect changes in care delivery, data availability and measurement science.

Six things to know, per U.S. News:

1. Risk-adjusted outcome measures will carry more weight in determining adult specialty rankings and ratings, with the largest changes affecting the Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery specialty.

2. Within Cardiology, Heart and Vascular Surgery, 41 outcome measures will collectively determine 80% of a hospital’s score, up from 45%. Expert opinion from cardiologists and heart surgeons will no longer factor into the specialty rankings.

3. Patient volume, trauma center designation and Magnet designation will no longer count in the Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery scoring. U.S. News is also removing structure measures such as nurse staffing, intensivist staffing, patient services and advanced technologies across multiple adult specialty rankings.

4. U.S. News is adding regional specialty rankings in cancer, cardiology/heart and vascular surgery, orthopedics and rehabilitation. In cancer, cardiology/heart and vascular surgery and orthopedics, the top 100 hospitals will receive regional rankings. In rehabilitation, the top 300 inpatient rehabilitation facilities will receive regional rankings.

5. Outpatient care will play a larger role. U.S. News said outpatient outcome measures will receive increased weight, and certain orthopedic procedures performed in hospital outpatient departments will now factor into Orthopedics specialty volume calculations.

6. The methodology changes will be reflected in this year’s edition of the “Best Hospitals Procedures and Conditions” ratings and ’Best Hospitals Specialty Rankings”, which will be published Aug. 4.

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