Healthcare isn’t cheap, and chances are it isn’t going to get much cheaper much sooner. With the most expensive part of healthcare easily being the hospital visit, it can cost even the insured patient tens of thousands of dollars in just one visit. With the doctors, labs, imaging facilities, and even the hospital itself sending in their very own bills, it makes more sense than ever to research as much as possible before choosing a hospital.
To help in the search for lower bills and better care, we have collected 25 great sites for hospital reviews. They are reviewed by everyone from internationally known publications and agencies to users and patients just like you.
Great Sites for Hospital Rankings
See which hospitals were ranked first through the multiple sites and reviews below.
- U.S. News
This leading publication is often known to review and rank many items, including hospitals. They gather data for nearly 5,000 hospitals in 16 adult specialties and ten pediatric specialties to help you find the one that’s best for you and your family. Choose from specialties such as cancer, diabetes, and geriatrics. There are also rankings by many metro areas. Nursing homes, health plans, and even health conditions are also reported on. - Consumer Reports
They rate everything from toasters to new cars. In a special section for health, the same people put their talents to use on hospitals. Simply click on your state to begin searching for the best hospitals. The ratings are based on survey responses from millions of patients that are combined with information on infection control and other factors. You can also use them to find reports and reviews on many other health areas such as drugs and insurance. - Health Grades
Visit here for reports on over 5,000 hospitals. They use a
five star rating system and even include information on disciplinary actions. Click on Find a Hospital to begin. Healthgrades also offers reports on 750,000 physicians and 16,000 nursing homes. - Hospital Compare
Visit here for a free tool from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Simply type in your information to be linked to hospitals and more information. You can also search by types including general, medical conditions, and surgical procedures. - Thomson Reuters
The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals study uses objective research and independent public data to recognize the best in U.S. hospitals. It evaluates hospitals on measures of overall organization performance, including patient care, operational efficiency, and financial stability. It also compares hospitals against similar facilities in terms of size and teaching status. Visit here to get the top 100, or check out one of their many other reports. - Quality Net
Get a more sophisticated system of hospital review here. They offer many hospital compare papers. You can also search for information on both inpatient and outpatient hospitals as well as physician offices and nursing homes. - Net Doc
Get hospital rankings with a simple visit here. An easy to read color coding system shows the best and worst hospitals in the area. Although it could use some updating, it is a good stop for learning which hospitals to avoid. - Community Value Leadership Awards
These awards were created to provide an assessment of a hospital’s performance in four areas: financial strength and reinvestment, cost of care, pricing, and quality of care. Simply click on the Community Value Top 100 List to see who made the cut in the above areas. They also have a Five Star list, as well as other resources. - Ticker
The National Research Corporation often ranks the best in hospitals through a variety of factors. Check out the latest winners by state with a visit here. The best hospitals by city and state are listed. - Hospital Soup
Simply scroll down here to get information on hospitals and medical centers by state. You can also use their directory to find hospitals, not only in the United States, but all across the globe. There are also loads more medical information on the main site.
Great Subscription Sites for Hospital Reviews
Many of these sites require a subscription or registration before you can use them.
- HCUP
This is a free, on-line query system based on data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. It provides access to health statistics and information on hospital inpatient and emergency department utilization. No registration needed, just tell them if you are a lay person or medical professional to being looking at reviews such as National Statistics on all Stays. - American Hospital Directory
The “Quick Search” lets you enter keywords to identify the hospital you’re looking for and can bring up information in just a few letters. You can also use the Advanced Search for those who truly know what they are looking for. The free service allows some information, but a subscription is required to view all the data. - Hospital Review
The experts at Chapman Consulting specialize in healthcare
claims resolutions. They can help whether you are looking to reduce an existing medical bill or to cut down future costs. They offer services and information on many hospitals including financial statements, balance sheets, profit/loss, and more. A subscription is required. - Angie’s List
Real people with real opinions stop here to provide reviews of many different companies and services, including hospitals. Joining the community allows you to read and write reviews of your very own. Loads of other businesses from contractors to maids are listed. - Healthcare Reviews
Register for a free account here to begin using their services. Rate your doctor, hospital, dentist, healthcare professional, and medicine in the United States, Canada, and the world. Ratings are done anonymously to protect patient’s privacy. - Rate Your Hospital Stay
Visit here to rate your most recent hospital stay. Best rated hospitals are listed right on the homepage. You can also use the search to find information on local hospitals. - Vitals
In a one stop shop, Vitals has loads of healthcare reviews, many of which are for doctors. Simply type in their name, or click Rate Your Doctor to begin sharing or reading important information. There is even an option for finding healthcare overseas.
Other Great Sites for Hospital Reviews
Get a specific area of hospitals or medicine with these review sites.
- State by State Rankings
Check out Medicare rankings of hospitals by state in this article from Kaiser Health News. Patients in different states give vastly different ratings of their hospital experiences on many questions. There are also many other health-related articles and information on the site. - Hospitals for Cancer Treatment
Lisa Fayed is the About.com guide for cancer, and for our purposes, the ranker of hospitals specifically for cancer. Although she developed the list in 2004, there have been constant updates and information for why a hospital was listed in her top ten list. - RateMDs
Because a hospital is all about the doctors, click here. It is a
user sponsored site where reviews of doctors are submitted on a regular basis. A visit to the homepage even includes recommended doctors in your area. - National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Information
The NACHRI and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals sponsor this site. With a devotion to reviewing and reporting on children’s hospitals, you can get resources for just that here. See which have won awards, learn research, and get the latest news on their site. - Best Children’s Hospitals: Cancer
Mary Beth Sammons of Parent Dish has carefully reviewed and reported on children’s hospitals that specialize in cancer. See who, where, and why with a read. Links to individual hospitals are also given. - Parkinson’s Disease Hospitals
See which hospitals are recommended by the National Parkinson Foundation here. The Center of Excellence lists hospitals by state, as well as if they are recommended for other movement disorders. You can also find other information for patients, research, and outreach initiatives. - Human Rights Campaign
The HRC has a Healthcare Equality Index which includes the top performers on seven different criteria. Top performers achieve credit for every one of these criteria applicable to their facility. Those hospitals and clinics that cater to the LGBT patients often rank the highest.
Bonus! American Hospital Association
Finally, visitors can stop here to get information on hospitals from an official national association. They have information on their research, which hospitals have won awards, and much more on the Research and Trends tab. The Resource Center also has lots fast facts, in addition to statistics and studies.
Remember that the above 25 great sites for hospital reviews is a good place to start but not the only means in which one should choose a hospital or medical care. Check with your insurance to make sure your hospitals of choice are in network, and always dial emergency services during a medical crisis.
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