Hospital Compare

As the name suggests, this website provides information on level of patient care provided by different hospitals. It allows people to compare some of the most common conditions (heart attacks, pneumonia, etc.), surgical procedures, mortality rates, and the quality of medical care that hospital patients receive. You can review the performance of hospitals in your state, gather information about other hospitals or compare the services of hospitals near you.

Created through the efforts of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), along with the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), this website is intended to make things easier for the consumer while making informed health care decisions. The Hospital Compare website is updated on a quarterly basis and covers information obtained from over 4,000 U.S hospitals.

It is recommended that consumers use multiple sources when choosing a hospital and Hospital Compare can be one such tool to gather information. Patients can then discuss with their health care provider about what this information means and how it can be used to make informed health care decisions.