Top-ranked hospitals include Pasadena’s Huntington Memorial

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Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena is listed as one of the highest-rated hospitals in the nation, according to a special issue of Consumer Reports, out today, that uses patient surveys to rate the performance of 3,400 hospitals.

USC University Hospital, Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, Pomona Valley Hospital and the Motion Picture & Television Hospital were all rated above average. But of the 76 Los Angeles-area hospitals included in the survey, 26 rated significantly below the national average.

The ratings are based on patient surveys collected by the federal government’s Hospital Consumer Assessments of Healthcare Providers and Systems. Consumer Reports used the information to rate hospitals on four criteria: doctor communication, nurse communication, room cleanliness and discharge instructions.

A common complaint among consumers was that hospitals did not have satisfactory discharge practices and did not communicate well about medications. Hospitals that provided more aggressive care also tended to rank lower while hospitals that provided conservative care (such as fewer tests and fewer days in an intensive care unit) often ranked higher.

The rankings, which include the top 28 and bottom 20 teaching hospitals in the nation, can be found at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

-- Shari Roan