Study: Hospital comparison sites confusing

A new study has suggested that many hospital comparison sites may not be accomplishing their intended mission.  The study, published in this month's Archives of Surgery, found that these sites use decidedly different standards to measure quality, which confuses consumers. This suggests a large missed opportunity, as more than 30 million Americans search for information on specific hospitals and physicians regularly.

To draw this conclusion, the researchers reviewed 846 websites offering hospital comparison data. It concluded that only six operated sites that were effective, including those published by CMS, the Joint Commission, Leapfrog Group and three unnamed sites run by private organizations.

To find out more about the study:
- read this Modern Healthcare article

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