UW Health ranked first in Wisconsin for avoiding unnecessary medical procedures

MADISON, Wis. — UW Health ranks among the top in the nation for avoiding unnecessary tests and procedures, according to new rankings from a nationwide nonpartisan health care think tank.

Earlier this month, the Lown Institute released its Hospitals Index, which tracks overuse at more than 3,100 U.S. hospitals. Overuse is defined as the delivery of tests and procedures that provide little or no clinical benefit, increase costs without improving outcomes, or risk patient harm in excess of potential benefits.

According to the rankings, UW Health ranks first in Wisconsin for avoiding overuse and first in the nation for avoiding overuse of hysterectomies for benign conditions.

“As an academic medical center, we take great pride in providing patients with the best available evidence-based care as well as an outstanding patient- and family-centered experience,” said Dr. Aimee Becker, chief medical officer at UW Health. “At UW Health, that means recognizing that ordering more tests and procedures is not always congruent with optimal care or the best outcomes. Our ranking on the issue is evidence that we are providing the right care for our patients, all while being good stewards of public healthcare dollars.”

UW Health was also ranked the ninth best national major teaching hospital at avoiding overuse and the nineteenth best in the nation at avoiding overuse.

Estimates suggest that overuse contributes to anywhere from $75.7 billion to $101.2 billion in wasted health care spending each year.

The Lown Institute’s rankings are based on research published in April in the Journal of the American Medical Association. More comprehensive ranking information and an explanation of methods is available on the Lown Institute’s website.

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