DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthgrades, the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals, today announced the recipients of four awards related to women’s care: the 2015 Healthgrades Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™; the 2015 Healthgrades Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™; the 2015 Healthgrades Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™; and the 2015 Healthgrades Women’s Health Excellence Award™.
In a related white paper, the 2015 Women’s Care Analysis: Evaluating Robotic-Assisted Surgery Clinical Outcomes, Healthgrades reviewed data from over 500,000 gynecological surgeries to determine if the use of robotic devices positively affected patient outcomes. We evaluated surgical procedures covering three years (2011–2013), for any statistically significant variation in outcomes, as measured by in-patient complication rates and procedure type.
The analysis found that statistically significant differences existed in observed complication rates for hysterectomies when comparing open vs. laparoscopic procedures and for hysterectomies that included the use of robotic assistants versus those that did not. While laparoscopic procedures had significantly lower complication rates when compared to open procedures, we found in our analysis of robotic procedures that patient characteristics were the primary driver of lower complications rates, rather than the use or absence of robotic assistants. The report supports the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) committee opinion and recommendations on this subject and concludes: 1) Additional research on the use of robotic-assisted devices in gynecologic surgeries is warranted, 2) Clinical guidelines for patient selection and procedure appropriateness need to be deliberated and outlined.
“Healthgrades analysis suggests that patients and physicians should carefully consider their options for hysterectomy, weighing both potential risks and benefits when selecting the appropriate procedure and methods for their specific situation,” said Evan Marks, Chief Strategy Officer. “By selecting a hospital that has achieved a Healthgrades 2015 Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™, consumers can be confident that the hospital will deliver high quality outcomes for these important procedures.”
2015 Healthgrades Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™
In 2015, there were 82 hospitals across the nation that achieved the Healthgrades Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award™. The distinction places this elite group of hospitals within the top 10% of all hospitals evaluated for their excellent performance identified as providing outstanding performance in gynecologic surgery.
From 2011-2013, patients treated in hospitals receiving the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award, have, on average, a 46.1% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the Gynecologic Surgery Excellence Award.*
2015 Healthgrades Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™
There were 104 hospitals that achieved the 2015 Healthgrades Labor and Delivery Excellence Award™, distinguished as the top 10% of hospitals evaluated, based on vaginal and C-section delivery outcomes. For the 2015 Women’s Care Report, Healthgrades compared hospitals with statistically better than expected performance (5 stars), as a group, to those with statistically worse than expected performance (1 star), as a group, and found from 2011-2013:
- Patients having C-Section Delivery in hospitals with 5 stars have, on average, a 52.4% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals with 1 star.*
- Similarly, from 2011-2013, patients with a vaginal delivery in hospitals with 5 stars have, on average a 44.5% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals with 1 star.*
2015 Healthgrades Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award™
Healthgrades recognized 76 facilities who outperformed while caring for women during and after delivery as well as during gynecologic surgeries. From 2011-2013, patients treated in hospitals receiving the Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award, have, on average a 34.4% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence Award.**
2015 Healthgrades Women’s Health Excellence Award™
The Healthgrades Women’s Health Excellence Award™ recognizes the best-performing hospitals in women’s health, which includes care provided to women ages 65 and older for common conditions and procedures treated in the hospital. For the 2015 Report on Women’s Care, Healthgrades compared Women’s Health Excellence Award recipients as a group, to those hospitals eligible for the award but did not receive it, as a group, and found from 2011–2013, women undergoing complication-based procedures at recipient hospitals have, on average a 9.6% lower risk of experiencing a complication while in the hospital than if they were treated by hospitals which did not receive the award. +
About Healthgrades
Healthgrades, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is the leading online resource for comprehensive information about physicians and hospitals. Today, more than one million people a day use the Healthgrades websites to search, compare and connect with hospitals and physicians based on the most important measures when selecting a healthcare provider: experience, hospital quality and patient satisfaction. For more information about Healthgrades, visit http://www.healthgrades.com or download the Healthgrades iPhone app.
+Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2011 through 2013 and represent 3-year estimates for female Medicare patients only.
*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of All-Payer data for years 2011 through 2013 and represent 3-year estimates for patients in 13 states for which all payer data was made available. (See 2015 Healthgrades Women’s Care Rating Methodology for more details).
