Medical students are taught to first do no harm to patients. Perhaps a better motto to follow is, first do nothing.

Welcome to our 11th annual 100 Top Hospitals supplement where each year we attempt to answer the question: What do high-performing hospitals do differently than lesser-performing hospitals? In previous supplements, we've looked at such variables as patient-safety strategies, new medical technologies, specific clinical practices, nurse-staffing ratios, the use of hospitalists, labor costs, avoidable medical errors, patient-satisfaction scores and ownership status.

For this issue, Thomson Reuters, which puts together the annual list of 100 Top Hospitals, conducted an exclusive study at Modern Healthcare's request on the connection between clinical and financial performance and resource use, specifically the use of drugs and medical supplies. Variations in care and costs are considered by many to be the primary driver of escalating healthcare spending nationwide. Consequently, reducing or eliminating those variations are seen as a key strategy to lower the rate of healthcare spending increases. In fact, some believe the strategy can actually lower healthcare spending, not just cut into the rate of growth.

The believers would be pleased with what the new study uncovered—that higher-performing hospitals spent significantly less on drugs and supplies than lesser-performing hospitals, and those that spent less on drugs and supplies had lower mortality rates, lower complication rates, safer care, shorter lengths of stay and lower expenses. The inference is better care is cheaper in the long run as hospitals don't have to spend more to fix poor quality care with more drugs and supplies. Or, the more hospitals do for patients, the worse off they are.

Modern Healthcare reporter Joe Carlson wrote the lead story on the study. You can reach him at jcarlson@modernhealthcare.com. In a special feature, frequent contributor and former Modern Healthcare reporter Linda Wilson wrote a detailed look at the clinical performance criteria that are part of Medicare's new value-based purchasing system for hospitals. Those criteria account for 70% of hospitals' performance scores under the new system. You can reach Wilson at lindajwilson@comcast.net.

Separately, on Sept. 21, at 10 a.m. CT, Modern Healthcare will host an editorial webcast with executives from three of the hospitals that made this year's 100 Top Hospitals list from Thomson Reuters. (The complete list of the 100 Top Hospitals also appears in this special edition.)

During the webcast, Modern Healthcare reporter Paul Barr will ask the panelists how they keep their hospitals on top and field questions for the panelists submitted by participants. To register for the complimentary webcast, please visit modern healthcare.com/webcasts. Registration is limited.

If you have any questions or comments on the supplement or would like to suggest topics for future analysis, please contact me at 312-649-5439, or at dburda@modernhealthcare.com.