Patients treated at the top 5% of U.S. hospitals are 28% less likely to die and 5% less likely to experience complications than those treated at other facilities in the nation, according to a study released on Monday by HealthGrades, USA Today reports.
For the study, researchers analyzed mortality rates for 26 medical procedures and diagnoses -- such as bypass surgery, angioplasty and heart attacks -- among almost 39 million patients treated from 2003 through 2005 at all 5,122 U.S. hospitals not operated by the federal government. The top 5% of hospitals reduced their mortality rates by an average 11.7% over the three-year period, the study found.
According to the study, in the event that all hospitals provided the same quality of care as the top 5% of facilities, 158,264 fewer patients would have died over the three-year period, and 12,409 fewer would have experienced major complications (USA Today, 1/30).
The study is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the study.