Trends in the hospital financial picture.

In 1992 (the most recent year for which complete financial data are available), the overall financial condition of U.S. hospitals was better than it had been in a decade. However, low-performing hospitals were falling further behind their high-performing counterparts. Moreover, the continuing drop in prices for services, which requires hospitals to achieve greater productivity and cost control, may pose a threat to the ability of some to maintain high-quality care in the future.