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Healthgrades expands on first-of-their-kind outcomes-based outpatient ratings for orthopedic surgery.

DENVER, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans turn to when searching for a doctor or hospital, has released the 2024 Outpatient Awards and Ratings. Each year, more Americans are opting for outpatient elective procedures, with over 1 million Medicare patients undergoing outpatient orthopedic surgeries from 2020-2022. To address this shift and help patients find the best care for their unique health needs, Healthgrades has developed the industry's first outpatient quality ratings. This patent-pending methodology is based solely on what matters most to patients: clinical outcomes.

Expanded for 2024, the Healthgrades' analysis evaluated patient complication rates for outpatient orthopedic surgeries in four key areas: total knee replacement, total hip replacement, rotator cuff surgery, and back & neck surgeries.* Based on clinical performance across these areas, Healthgrades recognizes national leaders in hospital outpatient surgical care with several key distinctions:

2024 Awards and Five-Star Ratings:

• Healthgrades Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award - awarded to 152 hospitals representing the top 10% in the nation
• Healthgrades Outpatient Total Knee Replacement Five-Star Ratings
• Healthgrades Outpatient Total Hip Replacement Five-Star Ratings

New this year, Healthgrades has expanded this analysis to include:

• Healthgrades Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award - awarded to 134 hospitals representing the top 10% in the nation
• Healthgrades Outpatient Rotator Cuff Surgery Five-Star Ratings
• Healthgrades Outpatient Back & Neck Surgery Five-Star Ratings

"As the trend towards outpatient orthopedic care grows, it is increasingly vital that consumers are equipped with the necessary information to make fully-informed decisions about where to receive healthcare," said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. "As pioneers in health transparency, Healthgrades is proud to be at the forefront of publishing outcomes-based outpatient ratings. We are particularly excited to expand our analysis this year, giving consumers even more visibility into where to find the highest quality outpatient orthopedic care."

Just as with inpatient care, Healthgrades' analysis reveals significant variability in patient outcomes across facilities. The recipients of this year's outpatient distinctions provided significantly better-than-expected outcomes for patients undergoing outpatient procedures during the 2020-2022 study period:

• Patients treated at hospitals that received a 2024 Outpatient Joint Replacement Specialty Excellence Award™ have, on average, approximately 38% lower risk of experiencing a complication than if they were treated at non-recipient hospitals.**
• Patients treated at hospitals that received a 2024 Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery Specialty Excellence Award™ have, on average, approximately 40% lower risk of experiencing a complication than if they were treated at non-recipient hospitals.**
• If all hospitals performed similarly to those receiving five stars, over 20,000 complications could have been avoided.**

For 2024, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) was the only hospital in the United States to achieve five-star ratings in all four outpatient surgery cohorts, including Total Knee Replacement, Total Hip Replacement, Rotator Cuff Surgery, and Back & Neck Surgery.

"As outpatient surgery options become more available, it is very important that consumers have trustworthy guidance on the facts and implications of quality differences," said HSS President, CEO and Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus Bryan Kelly, MD, MBA. Kelly added, "HSS appreciates this unique recognition by Healthgrades, and its potential to help consumers make better choices about their care and encourage all providers to prioritize quality improvement."

Through data-driven awards and ratings, Healthgrades empowers patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare. To find the best orthopedic care close to home, consumers can visit healthgrades.com for the complete list of Outpatient Awards and Ratings recipients.

*To learn more about how Healthgrades assesses outpatient care, see the 2024 Outpatient Specialty Excellence Awards & Ratings Methodology.

**Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of SAF data for years 2020 through 2022 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only, with complications defined within a clinically specified timeframe.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

Our health system, large group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have been helping our partners reach and engage consumers who are on their way to the doctor for over 20 years.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central, Bezzy and Platejoy which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. Each month, RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives.

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SOURCE Healthgrades