This four-volume guide compares about 4,700 American hospitals in the the US. Volumes are organized by the four regions of the US, then alphabetically by state, with each state section beginning with rankings that rate hospitals on how often they meet accepted treatment protocols. These are followed by individual hospital profiles listed alphabetically by city, which include contact information and key contacts, and data on how the hospital's performance rates against others in the state on 49 quality measures. The directory is compiled from data from the federal study Hospital Compare, the Directory of Hospital Personnel, and new state rankings and statistical summaries. This edition adds 310 hospitals, 25 quality measures, and new categories in surgical care, children's asthma care, chest pain/possible heart attack care, the use of medical imaging, and patients' hospital experiences. A new appendix on 30-day readmission rates is included. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
