Hospital Rates Not A Predictor Of Quality

The cost of hospital care is not necessarily a predictor of better quality.   A recent study of hospital rates and quality found that the quality of care provided by United States hospitals with lower prices is equivalent to the quality of care provided at hospitals with higher prices.

In the study, researchers defined hospital quality as better outcomes on mortality and readmission measures.  They did not find a link between quality indicators and cost of hospital services.

The findings were reported in “Understanding Differences Between High- and Low-Price Hospitals: Implications for Efforts to Rein in Costs” by Chapin White . . .