For its “best hospitals” ranking, U.S. News & World Report calculates the mortality index for patients admitted to hospitals for treatment of various medical conditions. The Johns Hopkins Hospital compares favorably to other highly ranked hospitals in this report. Click on links below to view the general and condition-specific mortality indices for Hopkins Hospital and the other top-five hospitals.
What is a hospital’s mortality index?
The mortality index compares the number of deaths that occurred among patients admitted to the hospital with the number that was expected (after adjusting for severity of condition). A hospital with a mortality index of 1.00 performed at the national average for that particular specialty. An index below 1.00 means the hospital did better than expected, while an index above 1.00 means the hospital did worse than expected.
What data are the mortality index calculations based on?
The mortality index data is based on the most recently available Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MEDPAR) data set, which comes from reimbursement claims submitted by hospitals to the federal government for Medicare patients. For the 2008 “Best Hospitals” issue, the analysis was based on MEDPAR data from 2004, 2005 and 2006. For additional details on mortality calculations and methodology, please visit www.usnews.com.
Click on links below to view the general and condition specific mortality indices for Hopkins Hospital and the four other top-ranked hospitals in the U.S. News report.
| Average Mortality Index |
| Cancer |
| Digestive Disorders |
| Ear, Nose & Throat |
| Endocrinology |
| Gynecology |