Doctor directory is first step to new “Physician Compare” website
Jan 5, 2011 4:07 PM
The federal government recently took the first step toward a website that, if all goes well, will eventually help consumers shop for doctors based on patient reviews and the quality of the care they provide.
The program is part of the new health-reform law, which among many other things, required Medicare to launch the website, called Physician Compare, by January 1. For now, it’s mainly an up-dated nationwide list of health-care providers who accept Medicare patients.
Still, it's helpful. The directory is searchable by zip code or city and state, as well as by medical specialty. Results show the doctor’s name, address, gender, phone number, and languages spoken. Those closest to you are listed first. And it includes not just M.D.s, but also chiropractors, clinical psychologists, dietitians, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, optometrists, osteopaths, physical therapists, physician assistants, and podiatrists—932,000 providers in all.
You don’t have to be a Medicare patient to use the tool, since doctors and other health-care providers who see Medicare beneficiaries also see people under age 65.Doctors who are already reporting quality information to Medicare—under a program called the Physician Quality Reporting System—have a mention of that participation in their profiles. That's a plus since it indicates they are committed to divulging such information. Later this year, Medicare will also list doctors who participate in a voluntary effort to encourage doctors to prescribe medicines electronically.Addition information will be added over time including, by 2015, the first actual measures of quality of care. Data for those measures will come from patient surveys, payment records, and electronic health records.Via http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2011/01/physician-compare-website-doctor-directory-is-first-step-to-new-physician-compare-website-.html
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