Hospital Ratings: Consumers have their choice

Hospitals across the country tout their placement on various hospital rankings, but with so many different rankings to choose from, how can consumers decide which ones to trust?

Most ratings systems post their methodologies online. Many get their information from publicly available sources, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the American Hospital Association annual survey and statewide data, although not every state makes this data publicly available. Others send out their own questionnaires and their results are based on those who respond to the survey.