Fact File

Patients who seek treatment at one of the Thomson Reuters 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals have better outcomes: They are released from the hospital sooner and have lower 30-day mortality. And these hospitals manage clinical gains while keeping costs lower. The typical winning hospital spent approximately $4,000 less per bypass surgery patient and nearly $1,500 less per heart attack patient admitted.

Despite CDC data that 33.8% of American adults are obese, and that pre-diabetes affects 35% of Americans age 20 and up, only 20% of Americans perceive themselves to be in fair or poor health, according to the Thomson Reuters 2010 PULSE™ Healthcare Survey; fully 80% of respondents assess themselves to be in good, very good, or excellent health. The survey also finds, however, that for most standard preventive care screenings, there is considerable room for improvement in participation rates.

Most Americans say they would look for a hospital rating, although less than half are "very likely" to do so. But if their hospital receives a bad rating, nearly 75% say they would change hospitals rather than stay put. If specialty care is needed, slightly more than half would seek out the best-rated facility rather than go to their community hospital. If a serious illness is involved, nearly 60% would rely on ratings rather than community location in seeking care.