• Does the hospital have experience with my condition?
• Does your specialists or surgeon have privileges at the hospital?
• Is the hospital accredited by national accreditation bodies like the Joint Commission or the American Osteopathic Association?
• How does the hospital quality compare with others in my area?
• Does my health insurance cover care at the hospital?
• Have you asked friends, family, and colleagues about their experiences with local hospitals?

Does the hospital have experience with my condition?

Certain hospitals will have more experience with specific conditions. Although volume is not necessarily a good indication of quality, if you have a rare or serious illness, you may want to go to a hospital that treats a lot of people who have the same health problems.

Some hospitals even have a special team of health professionals that works with people with your specific condition or treatment.

Ask your doctor or the hospital if there is information on:

• How often the procedure is done there
• How often the doctor does the procedure
• The patient outcomes (how well the patients do)

Does your specialists or surgeon have privileges at the hospital?

Doctors usually have certain hospitals that they are allowed to practice in (known as privileges). You may want to choose a hospital where your doctor can treat you or if you choose to go to a hospital where they do not have privileges you may be under the care of another doctor.

Is the hospital accredited by national accreditation bodies like the Joint Commission or the American Osteopathic Association?

Hospitals can choose to be surveyed by accreditation organizations like the Joint Commission to make sure they meet certain quality standards.

The Joint Commission, for example, prepares a performance report on each hospital that it surveys. The report lists such items as:

• Accreditation status (from "Not Accredited," to the highest, "Accredited with Commendation")
• Evaluation of the key measures
• Areas needing improvement
• Comparison with national results

How does the hospital quality compare with others in my area?

Web sites such as this one developed by the MHA, should be one of many factors you should review before making any health care decision. Other Web sites that have quality information include:

• The Joint Commission
• U.S Department of Health & Human Services: Hospital Compare
• Michigan Health and Safety Coalition
• The Leap Frog Group

Does my health insurance cover care at the hospital?

If you are looking to have a procedure done at a particular hospital, you should keep that in mind when choosing a health plan.

Have you asked friends, family and colleagues about their experiences with local hospitals?

Your specific experience with a hospital may be different from the care others receive but getting information about items such as the quality and comfort of patient rooms or waiting rooms, attitudes and friendliness of the hospital staff, quality of food from the cafeteria, and other convenience or comfort issues will be helpful.