The study covers nearly 4,500 short-term and acute care hospitals across the country that were evaluated using three years of Medicare risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for 32 conditions and procedures, and all-payer state data from 18 states representing more than half of the U.S. population.
Research in the 2016 report includes an analysis of relative convenience to hospitals in general, and to hospitals demonstrating superior outcomes in six common procedure categories.
“The Healthgrades analysis unequivocally shows that consumers need to educate themselves before any surgery and get the facts on their personal risk in order to improve the likelihood of a positive outcome,” said Evan Marks, the company’s chief strategy officer.
For Philadelphia, Healthgrades — a Denver-based health care information provider — found 75 percent of patients undergoing pacemaker procedures have to drive more than five miles to get to a hospital rated as five-stars, the classification given to top performers.
The five-star hospitals identified by Healthgrades in this region for the six common surgical procedures covered in the study were:
- Total hip replacement: Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center, Christiana Care Health System-Christiana Hospital, Jeanes Hospital, Jefferson University Hospital, Physicians Care Surgical Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center.
- Total knee replacement: Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital, Virtua Berlin, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Einstein Medical Center Montgomery, St. Mary Medical Center, Christiana Care Health System-Christiana Hospital, Jefferson University Hospital, Nazareth Hospital, Physician’s Care Surgical Hospital, Grand View Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center.
- Coronary artery bypass graft: Jeanes Hospital and Lankenau Medical Center.
- Pacemaker procedures: Abington Hospital—Jefferson Health, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Doylestown Hospital. St. Mary Medical Center, Jeanes Hospital, Kennedy University Hospital-Stratford, and Inspira Medical Center Woodbury.
- Hysterectomies: Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, St. Mary Medical Center, Holy Redeemer Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital, Physician’s Care Surgical Hospital, and Lankenau Medical Center.
- Bariatric Surgery: Forest Health Medical Center of Bucks County, Einstein Medical Center-Philadelphia, Jeanes Hospital, Temple University Hospital.
Commenting on the report Andy Carter, president and CEO of the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania. said Healthgrades is one of many organizations that rate health care quality.
“Different ratings focus on different aspects of health care and come to different conclusions,” Carter said. “One study looked at four well-known rating systems and found that only one in ten hospitals received high marks from two different rating systems. When selecting a hospital, consumers should consult several sources—most especially, a trusted family doctor or other health care professional who understands your needs and concerns.”
