Thomson Reuters recently released its third annual study identifying the 10 top U.S. health systems based on quality of care, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. Compared with their competitors these health systems:
- saved more lives,
- caused fewer medical complications,
- made fewer medical errors,
- followed recommended standards of care more closely,
- released patients half a day sooner on average, and
- scored better on patient satisfaction surveys.
To be included in the study the eligible U.S. health systems had to include a minimum of two short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals that treat a broad spectrum of patients. Researchers used public data from the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) dataset and the CMS Hospital Compare datasets.
The leading 10 health systems rose to the top when researchers from the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals® program analyzed the performance of 285 health systems based on eight quality metrics:
- In-hospital mortality,
- Medical complications,
- Patient safety,
- Average length of stay,
- 30-day mortality rate (post-discharge),
- 30-day readmission rate (post discharge),
- Adherence to clinical standards of care (evidence-based core measures published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), and
- Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems patient survey score (part of a national initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to measure the quality of care in hospitals)
The 10 Top Health Systems in the U.S. are:
- Advocate Health Care* ― Oak Brook, IL
- Cape Cod Healthcare ― Hyannis, MA
- CareGroup Healthcare System ― Boston, MA
- Kettering Health Network* ― Dayton, OH
- Maury Regional Healthcare System ― Columbia, TN
- Mayo Foundation** ― Rochester, MN
- NorthShore University HealthSystem ― Evanston, IL
- OhioHealth* ― Columbus, OH
- Partners Healthcare ― Boston, MA
- Spectrum Health** ― Grand Rapids, MI
*Denotes three-time winner
**Denotes two-time winner
According to Thomson Reuters“This year, the 10 Top Health Systems set a new standard for high quality of care across all of the communities they serve,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Thomson Reuters. “To produce consistent, strong performance across multiple hospitals, health system leaders must be providing crystal clear goals and communication as well as the means for staff to execute effectively,” Chenoweth said. “These systems are positioned to continue performing well as we move further into the era of healthcare reform.”
Summary
We should learn all we can about these health systems, how they have achieve these quality and effecient results, and then implement these mechanisms as closly as possible in as many systems as possible nationwide. Then we will gain control of health care costs and achieve true reform that creates balance across our fragented and inefficient health care system.
