Do 'America's Best Hospitals' perform better for acute myocardial infarction?

Heart attack patients admitted to hospitals ranked high on a U.S. News & World Report annual list have lower mortality rates because these hospitals are more likely to use aspirin and beta blockers. Researchers compared mortality rates among elderly heart attack patients at three different types of hospitals: those whose cardiology services ranked high on the America's Best Hospitals list, similarly-equipped hospitals not ranked as high, and all other hospitals. Although 30-day mortality rates were lowest at the high-ranking hospitals, these hospitals were also more likely to use aspirin and beta blockers. After adjusting for this factor, mortality rates were approximately the same.