At the end of February, U.S. News & World Report issued its first-ever Best Home Health ratings.
As one of the world’s trusted authorities in ranking the quality of hospitals, healthcare facilities, and healthcare products, these data-backed rankings from U.S. News & World Report provide a resource for millions of Americans looking for high-quality healthcare support in their own homes after an illness or hospital stay.
The types of home health services patients may require can include: nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, medical social services, and home health aide services. The demand for these services in the United States continues to rise.
“For patients recovering from surgery or managing a chronic condition, the quality of care they receive at home can be the difference between a successful recovery and a costly rehospitalization,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Families often must make crucial post-acute care decisions during stressful times and on very short notice. These new ratings are intended to serve as a helpful starting point, offering a clear view of agencies that have demonstrated a track record of positive patient outcomes and satisfied consumers.”
U.S. news reviewed more than 12,000 Medicare-certified home health agencies, recognizing more than 1,300 agencies in their “Best Home Health” category as exceeding expectations.
These rankings contain two categories that patients, their families, and their physicians should consider when evaluating home care options:
- High Performing Home Health Agencies: 1,319 agencies were honored with the Best Home Health distinction for exceeding expectations in patient experience and quality of care.
- As Expected Home Health Agencies: 5,288 agencies met the standards set by U.S. News & World Report for patient experience and quality of care.
How Home Health Agencies Were Evaluated
Using data published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Best Home Health ratings from U.S. News & World Report are based on rigorous, unbiased analyses that included 12,157 agencies, 16 measures of quality, and teams with 35 years of experience evaluating healthcare providers. The two scoring rubrics include:
- Patient Experience Score: This score is based on a national survey of patients and their families asking about the aspects of care they received: communication, professionalism, overall satisfaction, and more.
- Quality of Care Score: This score is based on how well agencies helped patients achieve better health outcomes, avoid hospitalizations, and avoid other complications.
The Scoring of U.S. News Best Home Health Agencies: How They Compare to the National Average
- Improved Mobility: Patients’ ability to walk and move after hospitalization is often one of the most important goals of home health care. While 83% of home health agencies nationwide saw an improvement in mobility, 93% of patients saw an improvement in mobility who received care from Best Home Health agencies ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
- Timely Care: Promptly beginning home health care after hospitalization helps patients transition back from hospital to home. While the national average of home health agencies beginning care on time was 94%, Best Home Health agencies ranked by U.S. News began care on time for 99% of patients.
- Daily Independence: Improvement in daily activities such as getting out of bed, taking medicines correctly, and bathing are important signs of patient recovery. Patients treated by Best Home Health agencies were more likely than patients nationwide to show improvements in these areas.
U.S. News Best Home Health ratings are the latest to join the established suite of post-acute care evaluations, including Best Nursing Homes and Best Hospitals for Rehabilitation. Patients who are transitioning home or to a skilled nursing facility now have access to a broader set of U.S. News analyses to help guide their decisions on their journey to recovery.
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