Top hospitals have 27 percent lower death rate

How much better is it to be a patient at the top-rated U.S. hospitals? Well, for one thing, you'll be 27 percent less likely to die, according to a new study released by health ratings organization HealthGrades. The study, which analyzed records from about 41 million Medicare patients treated between 2005 and 2007, focused on 26 common diagnoses and procedures, including heart failure, stroke and sepsis. Article