New website makes hospitals easy to compare

Consumers don’t always have a choice of hospitals, especially in emergencies. However, several new tools can help you choose the right hospital for you or a family member when you can plan ahead.

The new Hospital Compare website from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) allows you to compare hospitals in your city or state according to 64 quality measures. You can see the most common treatments, infection and readmission rates, and patient experience. The cost of some common procedures is also factored in.

Hospitals are awarded up to five stars based upon the criteria, with the average rating coming in at three stars. Of 61 hospitals listed for Oregon, 35 earned three stars, which was the average nationwide. Eleven Oregon hospitals earned four stars; none achieved five.

“We have received numerous letters from national patient and consumer advocacy groups supporting the release of these ratings because it improves the transparency and accessibility of hospital quality information,” Dr. Kate Goodrich, director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, wrote in a CMS blog entry. “In addition researchers found that hospitals with more stars on the Hospital Compare website have tended to have lower death and readmission rates.”

Voices for Affordable Health is looking into hospital costs on behalf of our growing network of supporters. Share your thoughts or tell us your story at: https://voicesforaffordablehealth.com/share-your-voice/