Healthgrades Recognizes Top Hospitals for Outpatient Joint Replacement

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May 09, 2023, 08:01 ET

Healthgrades announces first-of-their-kind outcomes-based outpatient ratings for joint replacement.

DENVER, May 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Healthgrades, the #1 site Americans turn to when searching for a doctor or hospital, has released a new Outpatient Joint Replacement Award and Ratings. Each year, more Americans are opting for outpatient elective procedures, with nearly 500,000 Medicare patients undergoing outpatient hip and knee replacements from 2019-2021. 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.

For this inaugural analysis, Healthgrades evaluated patient mortality and complication rates for outpatient total knee and total hip replacement at hospitals across the country.* Healthgrades recognizes superior performance in outpatient joint replacement with three distinctions:

Healthgrades Outpatient Total Knee Replacement Five-Star Ratings - 146 hospitals received this designation
Healthgrades Outpatient Total Hip Replacement Five-Star Ratings - 78 hospitals received this designation
Healthgrades Outpatient Joint Replacement Specialty Excellence Award - awarded to 112 hospitals representing the top 10% in the nation

Just as with inpatient care, Healthgrades's 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 hip and knee replacement procedures during the 2019-2021 study period:

Patients treated at hospitals that received a 2023 Outpatient Joint Replacement Award™ have up to a 50% lower risk of experiencing a complication than those treated at non-recipient hospitals.**
Patients undergoing hip replacement at a hospital with a five-star rating for total hip replacement have a 76% lower risk of experiencing one or more complications than patients treated at one-star hospitals.**
Patients undergoing knee replacement at a hospital with a five-star rating for total knee replacement have a nearly 85% lower risk of experiencing one or more complications than patients treated at one-star hospitals.**
If all hospitals performed as well as those with five-stars in outpatient knee and hip replacements, over 10,000 complications could have been avoided.**

"It is imperative that consumers have the information they need to choose a doctor and hospital that excel in their procedure as the market for elective orthopedic care continues to shift towards outpatient settings," said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Data Science at Healthgrades. "As a leader in health transparency for over 20 years, Healthgrades is proud to be the first to publish outcomes-based outpatient ratings, and we look forward to expanding our outpatient analysis further later this year."

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 be eligible for an Outpatient Joint Replacement Excellence Award, hospitals must receive ratings in both outpatient total knee replacement and outpatient total hip replacement. To learn more about how Healthgrades rates hospitals, see the 2023 Outpatient Specialty Excellence Awards & Ratings Methodology.

**Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of SAF data for years 2019 through 2021 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only.

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.

SOURCE Healthgrades