HealthGrades FAQ
What is HealthGrades?
HealthGrades, Inc., is the nation's leading independent healthcare-rating company. HealthGrades uses the industry's only ranking system based exclusively on clinical outcomes. How are hospitals ranked? HealthGrades analyzes more than 41 million Medicare hospital discharges nationwide. Hospitals do not have the option to opt in or out of the independent analysis.
What are the medical conditions and procedures evaluated by HealthGrades?
HealthGrades evaluates mortality or complications in 26 conditions and procedures. They include cardiac, critical care, gastrointestinal, general surgery, orthopedics, pulmonary, stroke, vascular, maternity care and women's services.
What do HealthGrades statistics show?
If all hospitals performed at the level of Distinguished Hospitals between 2005 and 2007, more than 152,000 deaths may have been prevented and more than 11,700 in-hospital complications avoided. Distinguished Hospitals averaged a reduction in risk-adjusted mortality of 18 percent, compared to 13 percent for all other hospitals. Risk-adjusted in-hospital complications dropped by 4 percent, compared to 2.5 percent for all other hospitals.
Why does this matter to our patients?
Patients who receive care at a hospital designated by HealthGrades as a Distinguished Hospital are less likely to develop in-hospital complications compared to patients at all other hospitals. While many hospitals may offer similar services to Inova's – emergency care, obstetrics, cancer care, cardiac care and others – it's important to remember the one thing that sets Inova hospitals apart from the others: quality outcomes.
Visit www.healthgrades.com for more information about methodology and hospital ratings.
