Here's why all those hospital rankings might be 'generating more confusion than clarity'

Hospitals are usually only too happy to promote the fact they're ranked on a top national list for safety and quality. As a journalist, I've often written about them. But when it comes to really understanding the real value of four of those top rankings — from Consumer Reports, HealthGrades, Leapfrog Group and U.S. News & World Report — consumers are often left very confused. And it's not surprising, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University published this week in the journal Health Affairs. These four rankings very often have little overlap in declaring the top hospitals.