Mortality and readmission for patients with heart failure among U.S. News & World Report's top heart hospitals.

Background: The rankings of "America's Best Hospitals" by U.S. News & World Report are influential, but the performance of ranked hospitals in caring for patients with routine cardiac conditions such as heart failure is not known.

Trial publication after registration in ClinicalTrials.Gov: a cross-sectional analysis.

Background: ClinicalTrials.gov is a publicly accessible, Internet-based registry of clinical trials managed by the US National Library of Medicine that has the potential to address selective trial publication. Our objectives were to examine completeness of registration within ClinicalTrials.

Statistical models and patient predictors of readmission for heart failure: a systematic review.

Background: Readmission after heart failure (HF) hospitalization is an increasing focus for physicians and policy makers, but statistical models are needed to assess patient risk and to compare hospital performance. We performed a systematic review to describe models designed to compare hospital rates of readmission or to predict patients' risk of readmission, as well as to identify studies evaluating patient characteristics associated with hospital readmission, all among patients admitted for HF.

Methods: We identified relevant studies published between January 1, 1950, and November 19, 2007, by searching MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, and all 4 Ovid Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews.