CalHospitalCompare.org

Research Your Options

Because most doctors practice at only a few hospitals, your first task in finding the best hospital for your care is to ask your doctors which hospitals they practice in. If another doctor – a surgeon or other specialist – will perform your procedure, oversee your treatment, or otherwise supervise your care while you are in the hospital, you should find out which hospital that doctor practices at, as that may limit your choice as well.

Questions for Your Doctors. Once you find out where your doctors practice, you can ask which hospital they recommend for you. In particular, you can ask each doctor:

• For the care I need, which hospital do you normally admit patients to?
• For my particular condition or treatment, is there more than one hospital I should consider?
• If you think a particular hospital is best for me, what are the reasons?
• Is there anything I should be concerned about if I get my care at that hospital?

If the hospital your doctor recommends is one of the hospitals that have quality ratings on this site, share the results with your doctor. If the recommended hospital gets a poor or below average quality rating, ask your doctor what that information means for you. To learn more about why the ratings are an important part of your decision, see Why Quality Matters. And to learn more about your condition and possible treatment options, go to MedlinePlus, a government-sponsored consumer information service.

Changing Specialists. The specialist who will perform your procedure or otherwise supervise your hospital care might not practice at the hospital you prefer. If so, you may want to consider switching to a specialist who does practice there. Care from that new specialist would have to be covered by your health insurance or by Medi-Cal, if that is the insurance you have. Switching specialists is a serious and complex matter you should discuss thoroughly with your primary care physician.

Ask Family and Friends. In addition to talking with your doctor, family or friends may have had personal experiences that could influence your decision. Ask whether anyone you know has recently been a patient at the hospitals you are considering, and, if so whether they can tell you about their experience there. This experience may be particularly useful if the person had the same condition or underwent the same procedure that you are facing. You may also know someone – a doctor, nurse, medical technologist, or administrator – who works at one of the hospitals you are considering. That person may be able to give you an insider's perspective on the pros and cons of going to that hospital.

Making a Final Decision. Once you have talked to your doctors and others, and have considered information on this site, as well as other sources, you will be ready to make your decision. If you agree with your doctor's recommendation, let him or her know. But, if it turns out that the hospital you prefer is not the same as the one your doctor recommends, you should meet and discuss it.