90% of States Get Failing Grade for Making Consumer Information on Physician Quality Available

 

To shed light on the availability of information for consumers on the quality of their doctors, a new scorecard finds the vast majority of states get a failing grade – D or F. Developed by the non-profit Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute (HCI³), the State Report Card on Transparency of Physician Quality Information found that only two states received an A – Minnesota and Washington – and one state, California, got a C.

“We’re 15 years out from the Institute of Medicine’s trailblazing report calling for the transformation of a ‘fundamentally flawed’ health care system, and for the most part we still have no idea of the quality of care delivered by the majority of physicians in the U.S.,” said Francois de Brantes, HCI³ executive director. “That’s not just shameful, but it unnecessarily puts patients at risk. By highlighting states that are making a conscious effort to provide data to consumers, we hope to encourage others to embark on similar efforts.”

HCI³ graded the states using scoring criteria that included the percentage of physicians and supporting health care professionals with publicly available quality information; the type of measurement provided (i.e. outcomes, process, patient experience); and the accessibility of the information to consumers.

This state by state scorecard highlights the extent to which there are still huge gaps in data and complements the Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws co-published by HCI³ and Catalyst for Payment Reform earlier this year showing the vast majority of states in the U.S. also get a failing grade in health care price transparency.

Efforts underway, but more state leadership is needed

Two national efforts continue to see progress in making available transparent quality information for consumers and remain the only widespread sources of public information on the quality of clinicians: the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) communities and HCI³’s Bridges to Excellence physician measurement and reward program. Bridges to Excellence, which is actively supported by employers in states like Maine, by health plans in states like North Carolina and Texas, and by medical specialty societies such as the American College of Cardiology and the American Gastroenterological Association, has resulted in having tens of thousands of physicians recognized for the quality of their care throughout the United States.

The two states receiving an A have had strong and consistent measuring and reporting programs in place for many years. In Minnesota, statewide transparency initiatives have been ongoing for more than a decade, resulting in 76% of clinicians reporting quality data. In addition, Minnesota HealthScores, an online resource by MN Community Measurement, provides patient-friendly quality reports on area clinics, medical groups and hospitals as well as average cost comparisons for common procedures.

These examples illustrate that concerted efforts by employers, health plans, medical societies, and states can have a significant effect in providing residents of any state with actionable information on the cost and quality of physician care. Other states are considering laws or regulations that can ensure the availability of quality and cost information on hospitals and physicians, and HCI³ has developed model legislation that can serve as a basis for that state action.

New INQUIREhealthcare consumer quality app to help close information gaps

To help consumers find information on the quality and cost of care of clinicians and hospitals in their local area, HCI³has developed INQUIREhealthcare. This free mobile app is different than other physician finders in that it is based on objective nationally-accepted standards of health care quality and cost, rather than subjective consumer or peer reviews. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android, INQUIREhealthcare allows consumers to easily find doctors, nurses and hospitals recognized for providing high quality care for conditions such as diabetes, cardiac care, hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, COPD, asthma and digestive health.

While the breadth of data in the app is limited to what is available to the public today in all states, HCI³ will update the app as new data become accessible, including data from Medicare. The app also uses data from The Leapfrog Group’s Hospital Safety Score, providing hospital patient safety ratings and showing how well hospitals protect patients from accidents, injuries, harm, and error.

“The American public not only needs usable information about their health care, they have a right to it,” said Michael Painter, M.D., senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “In fact, it’s completely unacceptable, and arguably immoral, for people not to have that information at their fingertips. Without it people are essentially trying to make smart, informed decisions that impact their health and the health for their families in the dark. That needs to stop and this HCI³ consumer app is an important stride in that direction.”