A decade after launching its Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings, U.S. News & World Report is rolling out major changes to its methodology — and hospitals across the country should take note. These updates, set to take effect in the late July 2025 release, are designed to make the ratings more transparent, outcome-focused, and aligned with hospital quality improvement initiatives. Here’s what these changes mean for hospitals and healthcare systems:

1. Outcomes Take Center Stage

In one of the most significant shifts, up to 75% of a hospital’s score in each procedure and condition will now be based on patient outcomes. This change will emphasize real-world results such as survival rates, complication prevention, discharge to home, and time patients spend at home. Hospitals will need to double down on outcome improvement strategies, as structural factors will take a back seat.

2. Simplified, Transparent Scoring

U.S. News is moving away from complex latent variable modeling and shifting to a clear, weight-based scoring system. This will make it easier for hospitals and healthcare leaders to understand exactly how scores are calculated and how they can improve in specific areas.

3. Broader Use of Outcome Measures

Key outcome metrics — including survival rates, discharging patients home, and time at home — will now be used across all rated procedures and conditions. Hospitals must track and optimize these metrics across multiple service lines, as they will have a larger impact than ever before.

4. Two New Ratings Cohorts

The addition of ratings for Arrhythmia and Pacemaker care expands the scope of evaluation. Hospitals will have new opportunities to demonstrate excellence — and face new scrutiny — in cardiac care delivery.

5. Inclusion of Medicare Advantage Outcomes

For the first time, survival outcomes for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will factor into hospital ratings. This addition encourages hospitals to improve care for this growing patient population and optimize performance across both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

6. A More Comprehensive Measure of Nursing Care

Nursing quality will no longer be evaluated by staffing ratios alone. Hospitals will also be assessed based on patient experience scores from the HCAHPS survey. This change will drive hospitals to prioritize not just the number of nurses, but also the quality of patient interactions and nursing care delivery.

7. More Predictable ‘High Performing’ Designations

Previously, the number of hospitals receiving a “High Performing” rating could vary significantly by category and year. The new methodology will ensure consistency, with 30% of hospitals (up to 500 per cohort) earning this recognition. This gives more hospitals the chance to stand out in their communities and provides patients with more reliable indicators of care quality close to home.

8. Refinements in Specialty Rankings

While specialty rankings won’t see major changes this year, adjustments to nurse staffing caps and weighting will ensure more balanced scores and prevent outlier data from skewing rankings.

What This Means for Hospital Leaders

These methodology changes send a clear message: hospitals must prioritize outcome-driven care, patient satisfaction, and transparency. Facilities that focus on reducing complications, improving discharge practices, enhancing survival rates, and elevating nursing care will be better positioned to achieve high performance ratings and boost their public reputation.

How Tendo Can Help

At Tendo, we help health systems and hospitals turn data into actionable insights. Our solutions are designed to help organizations track and improve key outcome measures, monitor patient satisfaction, and align quality improvement initiatives with evolving external benchmarks — including U.S. News methodologies. Whether it’s improving discharge workflows, enhancing care transitions, or making data more accessible and meaningful, Tendo can support hospitals in navigating these changes and delivering better results for patients and communities alike.

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