Disclosure of Physician Information



Disclosure of Physician Information

Introduction

In the previous years, health care system have given considerable importance to “report cards” in education and health sectors. These report cards show the performance of education centres and physicians. The performance in these report cards depends on the skills and efforts of the provider and the patients or the students. The best example of health report card is New York State's physician CABG surgery card.

Discussion

Many employers and private insurers use report cards information as a means of quality assurance. Many people in health community disagree on the benefits of report cards. Supporters of report cards argue that they enable the public to choose the best hospitals and physicians. The analysts who make report cards should adjust health outcomes for different diseases in patients, because the providers who manage the serious cases have high mortality rates and appear to have low quality. The analysts can make reports for those characteristics that they observe. However, the providers have better knowledge of patients' conditions, than the analysts who make the report cards (Jonas, Goldsteen, & Goldsteen, 2007).

In US, the National Committee for Quality Assurance has arranged “Physician Directory” for accredited physicians. This provides a list of physicians, who are involved in high-risk surgeries, such as cardiac surgeries to make the patients aware about the skills of operating physician. Although, this seems justifiable, but it is difficult to evaluate physicians on only specific procedures (Nicholson, 2008).

Would the incorporation of physicians' report cards be fair and beneficial for our system? Some people claim that in a system where patients select physicians due to their performance, will provide the best outcomes for patients. These report cards would put pressure on doctors to provide quality care to patient. In that system, patients, policy makers, providers, and others would be ...