Catholic and other
church-run health care systems in the U.S. are more efficient and provide
higher quality care than their secular counterparts, according to a new Thomson
Reuters study.
The study looked at 255
health care systems and found that Catholic and other church-owned systems are
“significantly more likely to provide higher quality care and
efficiency” than both investor-owned and nonprofit health systems.
There was no
statistical difference between Catholic and other church-run health systems,
according to the study, which built on information gleaned from Reuters’ “Top
100 Hospitals” report.
“Our data suggest that
the leadership teams … of health systems owned by churches may be the most
active in aligning quality goals and monitoring achievement across the system,”
the report stated.
The report was short on
specific reasons for religious hospitals’ success, saying that further study
will be required to understand the differences. The performance measures
included mortality rates, the number of medical complications, readmission
rates, lengths of stay, profitability, and other factors.
The Catholic church in
the U.S. runs 624 hospitals and 499 long-term health care facilities, according
to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“When your mission is
rooted in Jesus who healed the sick, only top quality care will do,” said
Sister Mary Ann Walsh, a spokeswoman for the U.S. bishops. “This study confirms
what many take for granted. The church leads in providing quality health care
efficiently.”
Thomson Reuters
provides “information solutions” and data to businesses and executives in the
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