While the United States healthcare system is often subject to global criticism, a recent report reveals that it holds the top rank for hospital care. The study identifies four of the world’s top five hospitals located in the US, with a total of 43 out of 250 American hospitals making it into the top rankings. In comparison, Germany, securing the second position, has 23 hospitals in the top 250.
The United Kingdom has 11 hospitals listed in the top rankings, with six of them situated in London. St Thomas’ Hospital leads as the best UK hospital, followed by Guy’s Hospital. Despite the critique, the US outspends any similarly large and wealthy nation per capita on healthcare.
Additionally, the US leads globally in the number of clinical tests conducted and boasts the highest rate of cancer survival.
The United States is the largest producer of medicines in the world, providing access to state-of-the-art medications.
According to a collaborative report by Newsweek and the data analyst site Statista, the top-ranked hospital globally is the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, followed by the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and Toronto General Hospital in Canada. The comprehensive report considered data from 2,400 hospitals in 30 countries.
Hospital rankings were determined through a scoring system based on an online survey involving over 85,000 medical experts. Additionally, public data from patient surveys, specifically focusing on general satisfaction after leaving the hospital, contributed to the overall assessment of each hospital’s performance.
The rankings are derived from a comprehensive analysis of four primary data sources. These include patient experience surveys, hospital quality metrics that may vary across countries (encompassing aspects like quality of care for specific treatments, hygiene measures, and patient safety), data on patient-to-doctor and patient-to-nurse ratios, and patient-reported health outcomes. The latter involves patient-completed assessments of their perception of functional well-being and quality of life, including symptoms and satisfaction with care.
The top-ranked hospital globally, according to these criteria, is the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The Mayo Clinic is recognized as the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice worldwide. Impressively, it secured rankings in all 12 specialities: cardiac surgery, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurosurgery, neurology, obstetrics and gynaecology, pulmonology, urology, endocrinology, orthopaedics, oncology, and paediatrics.
In November, the Mayo Clinic revealed plans for a new five-billion-dollar campus situated in downtown Rochester. The proposed layout includes the incorporation of neighbourhoods, facilitating seamless access to continuous care for patients.
The Mayo Clinic, established over a century ago by two brothers in the rural Midwest, has evolved into a premier destination for individuals grappling with challenging medical conditions.
According to Jeffrey Bolton, the former chief administrative officer, the Mayo Clinic stands out from other medical facilities due to its highly integrated approach to different specialities. When patients visit the Mayo Clinic and consult with a doctor, any significant issues, such as those related to the urology system or other medical concerns, prompt immediate transfer to the relevant specialist on the same day or even within the same hour.
This swift and integrated process ensures effective problem resolution, a key factor attracting people to the Mayo Clinic, as noted by Larry Jameson, the executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, in an interview with the business journal Knowledge at Wharton.
The Mayo Clinic adheres to the philosophy that “the wisdom of peers is greater than any individual.” Simultaneously, the Cleveland Clinic has secured the second rank globally for the sixth consecutive year. The Cleveland Clinic has consistently been recognized across all 12 specialities. Toronto General Hospital, ranking for specialities such as oncology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and urology, has contributed significantly to medical advancements, including pioneering coronary artery bypass surgery and executing the first face transplant in the US.
Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, the CEO and President of the Cleveland Clinic, expressed the institution’s overarching goals of being the premier destination for care and an exemplary workplace in the healthcare sector. He attributed the recognition to the dedication, compassion, and commitment of their 81,000 caregivers worldwide, emphasizing their collective contribution to patient well-being and community service.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Cleveland Clinic Fairview have also earned recognition among the top 250 hospitals globally. Toronto General Hospital, acclaimed for its leadership in cardiac care and organ transplants, serves as the flagship campus of the University Health Network in Canada. It functions as a prominent teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.
The hospital’s emergency department attends to over 28,000 patients annually. Toronto General Hospital hosts a major transplantation service for Ontario, specializing in heart, lung, kidney, liver, pancreas, and small intestine transplants for patients referred from across Canada. It stands as the largest organ transplant centre in North America, conducting over 600 transplants each year.
Toronto General Hospital has been at the forefront of groundbreaking medical procedures, with the world’s first single and double lung transplants performed in 1983 and 1986, respectively. In 1992, the hospital achieved another milestone with the world’s first valve-sparing aortic root replacement. In 2015, surgeons at the hospital successfully conducted the world’s first triple organ transplant (lung, liver, and pancreas) in 19-year-old Reid Wylie.
St Thomas’ Hospital, one of the oldest hospitals in the UK, underwent a significant development in 1993 when it merged with Guy’s Hospital, forming a single hospital trust. In the medical history of St Thomas’, notable achievements include Sir Harold Ridley’s groundbreaking implantation of the world’s first artificial lens in the eye in 1949, addressing a cataract in a 49-year-old female patient.
In 2014, St Thomas’ Hospital achieved another milestone by completing the world’s first mitral heart valve replacement on a beating heart. This innovative procedure marked a significant advancement as, prior to this breakthrough, mitral valve replacements could only be performed through open-heart surgery.
Several other distinguished hospitals in the UK, such as University College Hospital, Addenbrooke’s, John Radcliffe Hospital, The Royal Victoria Infirmary, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Freeman Hospital, and King’s College Hospital, have also secured positions in the top 250 globally.
Notably, the hospital rankings expanded to include Chile and Malaysia for the first time, alongside Western Europe, Scandinavia, 10 Asian countries, Australia, and various nations in the Americas.