U.S. News & World Report released the 2021-22 Best Hospitals rankings and ratings. In the latest edition, seven new Procedures and Conditions ratings have been added, diversifying the portfolio to 17 services in all. The new ratings – covering Heart Attack, Stroke, Pneumonia, Diabetes, Kidney Failure, Hip Fracture and Back Surgery (Spinal Fusion) – emphasize the importance of targeted research and care that provides patients and their doctors with data-driven decision support.
U.S. News also investigated racial disparities in health care and today debuted health equity measures alongside the hospital rankings. Among other aspects of health equity, the new measures examine whether the patients each hospital has treated reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the surrounding community.
U.S. News released new rankings for 15 medical specialties, which cover Cancer; Cardiology & Heart Surgery; Diabetes & Endocrinology; Ear, Nose & Throat; Gastroenterology & GI Surgery; Geriatrics; Gynecology; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Ophthalmology; Orthopedics; Psychiatry; Pulmonology & Lung Surgery; Rehabilitation; Rheumatology; and Urology. Out of more than 4,750 hospitals that were evaluated, 175 were nationally ranked in at least one specialty, while 531 were ranked among the Best Regional Hospitals in a state or metro area.
As reported previously (AHT, 7/1/2021), seven new ratings were included, expanding the Procedures & Conditions portfolio to 17 services in all. In addition, this year’s edition of Best Hospitals featured several other notable changes: equity, nephrology, rehabilitation, transparency, discharge to home, nurse staffing, best regional hospitals, overuse.
Read more:
- US News Best Hospitals 2021-22: https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings
- AHT, 7/1/2021: https://abouthealthtransparency.org/2021/07/u-s-news-best-hospitals-2021-22-new-ratings-in-seven-procedures-conditions-to-debut-in-july/