The U.S. News Best Hospitals reputation survey, explained
The U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals “reputation” score comes from an annual expert-opinion survey administered by Doximity, in which board-certified physicians name the hospitals they consider best in their specialty. It is one weighted input among several — roughly 15% of a typical data-driven specialty ranking (12% in four specialties, 30% in Rehabilitation) — and the rest comes from measured patient outcomes and other care-related data. A hospital cannot legitimately solicit votes; it can only raise broad awareness of its clinical work.
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What the reputation survey is
Within the U.S. News Best Hospitals methodology, “reputation” has a specific, narrow meaning. It is the result of an expert-opinion survey — sometimes called the physician survey — that asks practicing specialists a simple question: which hospitals provide the best care in your field for the most challenging cases?
It is not a measure of brand awareness, patient satisfaction, or marketing reach. It captures the considered opinion of physicians who treat these conditions every day. Because it reflects peer judgment rather than measured data, it is the component hospitals most often misunderstand — and the one most prone to wishful thinking.
Who runs it and how voting works
Per U.S. News & World Report, the survey is administered by Doximity, the professional network for U.S. clinicians. The basic mechanics:
- Who is eligible. Board-certified physicians in the specialties U.S. News evaluates, registered with Doximity and meeting U.S. News’s eligibility criteria.
- What they’re asked. To name the hospitals they consider best in their own specialty for difficult cases. In the adult survey, a physician can list up to five hospitals.
- How it’s counted. U.S. News aggregates responses over the most recent three years of surveys, so a single year’s result moves the multi-year average only gradually.
- When it happens. Voting opens on an annual cycle (the survey window for the next edition is typically open in the first part of the year).
How much it actually counts
This is where hospitals most often over- or under-estimate the survey. Per the 2025–26 methodology:
| Specialty type | Reputation weight |
|---|---|
| Most data-driven specialties | ~15% |
| Four specialties with strong public transparency metrics — Cardiology, Heart & Vascular Surgery; Obstetrics & Gynecology; Neurology & Neurosurgery; Pulmonology & Lung Surgery | 12% |
| Rehabilitation | 30% |
| Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Rheumatology | 100% (reputation-only) |
So for most specialties, reputation is a meaningful but minority input — the large majority of the score is measured performance. The exceptions cut both ways: in three specialties the survey is the entire rating, while in four high-transparency specialties U.S. News has deliberately reduced its weight because better objective data is available.
Reputation vs. the data-driven score
It helps to see reputation in context. A typical data-driven specialty score combines:
- Patient outcomes — risk-adjusted survival and the rate of returning home rather than to further institutional care. U.S. News has been increasing the weight on outcomes.
- Other care-related indicators — nurse staffing intensity, patient volume, breadth of services and technologies, patient experience, and structural/process measures.
- Expert opinion (reputation) — the Doximity survey described above.
- Survey administrator: Doximity, on behalf of U.S. News & World Report.
- Aggregation: most recent three years of survey responses.
- Typical weight: ~15% (12% in four specialties; 30% in Rehabilitation; 100% in three reputation-only specialties).
- The reputation survey is separate from the data a hospital submits and from federal outcomes data.
What a hospital can legitimately do
Because the survey is peer opinion, the only durable way to influence it is to do excellent work and make sure the relevant physician community knows about it. What that looks like in practice:
- Publish your outcomes and clinical innovation so that referring physicians and specialists in your region and field are genuinely informed about what your programs do well.
- Strengthen referring-physician and alumni relationships — clear provider-to-provider communication, efficient access, and follow-up that physicians remember.
- Encourage eligible physicians to participate in the survey generally — the response pool is limited, so broad participation matters.
Independent analyses of the reputation component reach the same conclusion: visibility and engagement with the physician community — not vote-chasing — are what move reputation over time.
Common misconceptions
“Reputation is most of the score.”
For most specialties it is roughly 15% — meaningful at the margin, but measured performance dominates. The exception is the three reputation-only specialties.
“We can run a campaign to win votes.”
Soliciting specific votes is prohibited. The legitimate goal is awareness of real clinical strength, not vote collection.
“One great year will fix our reputation score.”
Because the score blends three years of surveys, change is gradual and compounding — which is why sustained visibility beats one-off pushes.
Frequently asked questions
Who administers the U.S. News Best Hospitals reputation survey?
The expert-opinion (reputation) survey is administered by Doximity on behalf of U.S. News & World Report. Eligible board-certified physicians registered with Doximity are invited to name the hospitals they consider best in their specialty.
How much does reputation count toward a ranking?
In the 2025–26 methodology it is weighted about 15% in most data-driven specialties, 12% in four specialties with strong public transparency metrics, and 30% in Rehabilitation. Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, and Rheumatology are based on the survey alone.
Can a hospital tell physicians to vote for it?
No. U.S. News and Doximity prohibit soliciting or coaching specific votes. Hospitals can legitimately raise broad awareness of their clinical programs and encourage eligible physicians to participate in the survey, but directing anyone to vote for a particular hospital is against the rules.
How many hospitals can a physician name?
In the adult survey, each responding physician can list up to five hospitals in their own specialty. U.S. News aggregates responses across the most recent three years of surveys.
Is the reputation survey the same as the data we submit to U.S. News?
No. The reputation survey is a separate physician opinion poll, distinct from the structural and clinical data hospitals report (for example, the AHA Annual Survey and information submitted to U.S. News) and from the federal claims and patient-experience data behind the outcomes components.
Get the part you can control exactly right
Shield Tracker doesn’t touch the physician survey or the vote — that’s peer opinion. What it does: help your team prepare and manage the U.S. News data-submission survey accurately, and track your own scores, gaps, year-over-year trends, and peer benchmarking across every service line, so the inputs you do control are right.
Schedule a demoSources
- U.S. News & World Report, “FAQ: How and Why We Rank and Rate Hospitals.” health.usnews.com
- U.S. News & World Report, “America’s Best Hospitals: The 2025–2026 Honor Roll and Overview.” health.usnews.com
- Duke Department of Medicine, “Reputation survey for Best Hospitals: Physicians encouraged to sign up with Doximity.” medicine.duke.edu
Independence & trademarks. Shield Tracker is an independent software product. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by U.S. News & World Report or Doximity. “U.S. News & World Report,” “Best Hospitals,” and “Honor Roll” are trademarks of U.S. News & World Report L.P.; “Doximity” is a trademark of Doximity, Inc. Both are used here descriptively for education and commentary. Methodology facts reflect U.S. News’s published 2025–26 Best Hospitals methodology and are subject to change each year.