CMS Adds Quality Measures to Physician Compare Website for Some Group Practices and ACO’s

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that for the first time, quality measures have been added to Physician Compare, a website that helps consumers search for information about hundreds of thousands of physicians and other health care professionals. "Patients and their families need facts to help them in making important decisions about health care, and choosing the right physician is one of the most important decisions they face," said CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. In the first year, 66 group practices and 141 Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) now have quality data publicly reported on Physician Compare. The data are reported at the group practice and ACO level. The quality measures being added include: Controlling blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. Controlling blood pressure in patients with diabetes. Prescribing aspirin to patients with diabetes and heart disease. Patients with diabetes who do not use tobacco. Prescribing medicine to improve the pumping action of the heart in patients who have both heart disease and certain other conditions. In an article by Modern Healthcare, several important questions are raised about Physician Compare: "The move comes as consumer awareness of physician-rating websites is growing. Two big questions surround public disclosure of such data: Do these measures give an accurate reflection of the quality of care an organization delivers and is this information useful to...
Source: Policy and Medicine - Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: Source Type: blogs