RTI International collects and analyzes the data for the “Best Hospitals” rankings. The methodology reflects clinical outcomes, such as patient survival, infection rates and complications; the level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care, such as staffing, technology and special services; delivery of healthcare, such as programs that prevent infections and adherence to best practices; and expert opinion among pediatric specialists.
For the 2020-21 rankings, 165 of over 4,500 evaluated U.S. hospitals were ranked in at least one specialty.
Since 1990, the Best Hospitals Honor Roll has recognized a small group of hospitals with high rankings in multiple Best Hospitals specialties. It was extensively revised in 2016-17 to reduce the effect of the expert opinion measure and to unify the rankings and ratings by incorporating Best Hospitals Procedures and Conditions ratings. See Section V. Honor Roll for more details.
