U.S. News & World Report updated the methodology for its annual best hospital rankings slated to come out July 27.
Six things to know:
1. This year's list will feature ratings for seven new procedures and conditions, bringing the total to 17. The new ratings will cover heart attack, stroke, pneumonia, diabetes, kidney failure, hip fracture and back surgery. These ratings will be a composite of multiple quality indicators.
2. U.S. News will publish a list of health equity measures alongside this year's best hospitals list, though they will not factor into the rankings. The publication is developing a broader set of health equity measures and said it would share more detailed methodology on the measures soon.
3. U.S. News replaced the adult nephrology specialty ranking with a new kidney failure rating, which covers nearly all of the same hospital admissions.
4. Ratings for heart attack, heart failure and stroke will incorporate a measure of public transparency based on each hospital's public reporting to relevant clinical registries.
5. U.S. News also changed how it calculates its rehabilitation ranking, risk-adjusted rates of discharge to home and nurse staffing levels, among other adjustments.
6. Staff at more than 4,000 hospitals can access embargoed data on the 2021-22 best hospitals rankings starting July 8.
To learn more, click here.