US News and World Report hospital ranking and surgical outcomes among patients undergoing surgery for cancer

Background Despite the popularity of the U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) hospital rankings among the general public, the relationship between hospital rankings and actual patient outcomes for major cancers remains poorly investigated. Methods Medicare Inpatient Standard Analytic Files were queried from 2013-2015 to assess the relationship of postoperative outcomes and Medicare expenditures among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal, lung, esophageal, pancreatic, and liver cancer at hospitals ranked in the top-50 USNWR vs hospitals ranked below 50. Results Among 94 599 patients, 13 217 vs 81 382 patients underwent surgery at a top-50 hospital versus a non-top 50 ranked hospital. Other than among patients who underwent colorectal surgery, the odds of postoperative complications were lower at top ranked vs non-top ranked hospitals (colorectal: OR, 1.46, 95% CI, 1.28-1.65; lung: OR, 0.73, 95% CI, 0.61-0.87; esophagus: OR, 0.70, 95% CI, 0.52-0.94; pancreas: OR, 0.81, 95% CI, 0.70-0.94; liver: OR, 0.85, 95% CI, 0.69-1.04). Moreover, the odds of 90-day mortality were lower at top ranked hospitals vs non-top ranked hospitals (colorectal: OR, 0.59, 95% CI, 0.48-74; lung: OR, 0.66, 95% CI, 0.53-0.82; esophagus: OR, 0.56, 95% CI, 0.40-0.80; pancreas: OR, 0.51, 95% CI, 0.40-0.65; liver: OR, 0.61, 95% CI, 0.44-0.84). Outcomes were comparable among hospitals within the top-50 rank. Conclusion Mortality rates were lower at hospitals in the top-50 USNWR versus non-top ranked, yet hospitals within the top-50 USNWR rankings had comparable outcomes.