Hospital Quality Guide Methodology 2007 - 2008 6
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How HealthGrades Rates Hospitals in Maternity Care
HealthGrades analyzes the following four factors for each hospital:
·
Volume of vaginal and cesarean section (C-section) single live-born deliveries
·
Maternal complication rate for single live-born deliveries for women undergoing vaginal or
C-section delivery
·
Maternal complication rate among women undergoing "patient-choice" or non-clinically indicated
C-sections
·
Newborn mortality rate stratified into nine birth weight categories
For each of the above factors except volume, hospitals are ranked separately based on whether or not they
have a newborn ICU. The presence of a newborn ICU is defined as being an intermediate or intensive care
unit for newborn care. Typically, intermediate care or intensive care newborn units allow for the care of
premature infants, infants requiring mechanical ventilation or neonatal surgery, infants with congenital heart
disease or malformations requiring immediate evaluations and monitoring, and/or infants with low birth
weight.
The four factors were weighted using predetermined weights based on consensus from a physician panel.
Each factor's score is multiplied by its weight and then summed to create an overall score for each hospital.
Based upon each hospital's overall score, HealthGrades applies the following star ratings for maternity care:
Best Top 15% of all hospitals within 19 states
As Expected Middle 70% of all hospitals within 19 states
Poor Bottom 15% of all hospitals within 19 states
How HealthGrades Rates Hospitals in Women's Health
The Women's Health rating is based upon two medical issues: maternity care and cardiac/stroke mortality
outcomes for women. Hospitals had to have an overall rating from each area to be considered. Maternity
care ratings are based on four factors related to deliveries and newborn care (methodology described
above). For cardiac and stroke mortality for women, HealthGrades analyzes the following for female
patients:
·
Coronary bypass surgery
·
Valve replacement surgery
·
Coronary interventional procedures
(PTCA/angioplasty, stent, atherectomy)
·
Heart attack
·
Heart failure
·
Stroke
The maternity care percentile score is added to the cardiac/stroke percentile score to create a women's
health score for each hospital. Hospitals are sorted with star ratings assigned in three tier levels.
The following star rating system is applied to the women's health score:
Best Top 15% of all hospitals within 19 states
As Expected Middle 70% of all hospitals within 19 states
Poor Bottom 15% of all hospitals within 19 states
