NEW YORK (AP) - Two national gay-rights organizations have launched a national rating system for hospitals' policies.

The groups hope the standards from the Healthcare Equality Index will result in more compassionate treatment of gay and lesbian patients.

In the first survey, just over half of 88 hospitals got top marks. All of the hospitals participated voluntarily.

The policies addressed in the ratings include patient nondiscrimination, visitation and decision-making rights for partners, diversity training for staff, and nondiscriminatory employment practices.

The healthcare index includes recommendations for hospitals, starting with the forms filled out by patients. It recommends that "partnered" be an option for relationship status.

The gay rights groups say the ratings are intended to create a best-practices standard to counteract the patchwork nature of state laws and hospital policies affecting gays and lesbians.

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