What Do The Stars Mean?

5-stars - Great

4-stars - Good

3-stars - Okay

2-stars - Bad

1-star - Terrible

What is the purpose of Rate A Hospital?

Patients Lives Matter. The Service is a platform for patients to Speak Out. The Service allow users to find, compare, and review hospitals and help others connect with great hospitals by sharing actual first-hand care experiences with hospitals. 

Does Rate A Hospital monitor which reviews get published? 

We do look at the reviews to make sure they comply with our guidelines. We’re committed to maintaining the quality and integrity of our reviews, so each review is audited for inappropriate content prior to being published. 

Are comments on Rate A Hospital edited? 

We do not edit any of the comments or rating selections on the Service. Rate A Hospital does reserve the right to remove from public posting any comments which may be deemed offensive, malicious, inappropriate, sexually explicit in nature, or not made in good faith. 

Why did my review not get posted? 

A real, live person moderates our reviews, so it can be possible that your review is still going through our confirmation process. If after a week it has not been posted, it may be it violated our guidelines. You can review those guidelines in our Contents Guidelines section..  

Can hospitals pay for good reviews? 

Hospitals cannot pay for good reviews. 

Can hospitals pay to remove bad reviews? 

Hospitals cannot pay to have negative reviews removed from our site. Consumer speech is protected under the law, even when it's negative. However, hospitals can get notified when there is a review, and respond to reviews via ‘Claim Hospital Profile’.

Can I share hospital profiles found on Rate A Hospital? 

The use of data found on the Service is governed by our Terms and posted Privacy Policy. You may print out a copy of a hospital profile but you may not electronically send it. If you wish to reproduce, cite, publish and/or distribute any information from the site for any purpose, please contact us. Rate A Hospital allows you to share profiles by emailing links to the profile to outside parties. 

Where the initial hospital information came from? 

The initial "DEFAULT" review corresponds to any initial review received. Prior to any reviews being left, the information compiled is a matter of public record on both state and national level. The collection and distribution of this data does not require the permission or participation of the listed party. All short-term, acute care, non-specialty hospitals are invited to participate in the US government’s HCAHPS Survey. Over 4,000 hospitals participate in HCAHPS. Initial hospital ratings were obtained from the public domain, namely the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as the source.  

How do I update information on a hospital profile? 

If you notice information on a hospital's profile that you believe is incorrect, please let us know by using our online form.  

Can a hospital submit a photograph on a hospital profile? 

Hospitals will need to click the ‘Claim Hospital Profile’ link from the Claim Hospital Profile page. Once their profile has been claimed, they will be directed to update photos and other data elements. 

Can a hospital sue for a bad review? 

It's certainly worth discussing your concerns with a lawyer who specializes in internet law, but any good lawyer will likely tell you that: 

·         Consumer speech is protected under the law, even when it's negative

·         Rate A Hospital is not responsible for the opinions of your patients

·         Suing Rate A Hospital will only draw more attention to the negative review than if you simply ignored it

·         Lawsuits are extraordinarily expensive, and you may be responsible for Rate A Hospital legal bills at the end of the case

The ratings on this site were provided by others. Thus, under the CDA, we are not the "publisher or speaker" of the ratings, even if they contain false information and we are not liable for defamation, libel, fraud or any other tort claim you might bring.