LOWN INSTITUTE HOSPITALS INDEX
EQUITY
The equity grade combines assessments of community benefit spending, pay equity, and inclusivity to evaluate hospitals’ commitment to community health and civic leadership. Pay equity, community benefit, and inclusivity were weighted at 20%, 40%, and 40% respectively, to create the overall equity grade.
VALUE OF CARE
The value of care category reflects hospitals’ avoidance of unnecessary care and ability to achieve good outcomes without overspending. The value category is based on two components, avoiding overuse and cost efficiency, weighed 40% and 60%, respectively, to create the overall value grade.
PATIENT OUTCOMES
The patient outcomes category reflects a hospital’s performance as it relates to their patients’ health and experience of care. This category is calculated from three components: clinical outcomes, patient safety, and patient satisfaction. Critical Access Hospitals were not ranked on patient safety due to lack of data. For Acute Care hospitals, the components were weighted as such: clinical outcomes (62.5%), patient safety (25%), and patient satisfaction (12.5%). For Critical Access hospitals, clinical outcomes was weighted 83.3% and patient satisfaction was weighted 16.7%.