Experts Favor Public Reporting of Health Care Quality and Price Information
<p>Health care providers, insurance companies, and drug makers should make information about quality and prices available to the public, according to the latest <a href="/surveys/surveys_show.htm?doc_id=590289">Commonwealth Fund/<em>Modern Healthcare</em> Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey.</a><br><br>The survey of leaders in health care and health policy focused on "transparency" in health care quality and pricing--or the public reporting of such information by name of hospital, physician practice, or other health care provider. Three-quarters of respondents believe increased transparency of quality and price information is essential to improving the performance of the U.S. health care system.<bR><br>In addition to public reporting on provider quality and prices, 88 percent of respondents support reporting of drug prices charged to major purchasers and 82 percent support the reporting of medical loss ratios. A similar share of respondents thinks that more widespread reporting of information could stimulate providers to improve their performance through quality improvement activities. "Transparency is important because it motivates physicians and hospitals to assess and improve their care," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis.<br><br> For analysis and discussion of the survey findings, read our data brief, <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=30679&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D590258%26%23doc590258">Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views on the Transparency of Health Care Quality and Price Information in the United States.</a> And for additional perspective, read commentaries by <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=30677&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D590264%26%23doc590264">Robert Galvin, M.D.,</a> director of global health care for General Electric, and <a href="/cnlib/pub/enews_clickthrough.htm?enews_item_id=30678&return_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecommonwealthfund%2Eorg%2Fpublications%2Fpublications%5Fshow%2Ehtm%3Fdoc%5Fid%3D590260%26%23doc590260">Paul Ginsburg, Ph.D.,</a> president of the Center for Studying Health System Change.</p>
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2007/nov/experts-favor-public-reporting-of-health-care-quality-and-price-information