British Doctors to be Graded for Quality of Service: Should the United States Do the Same?
British doctors will soon be inspectd by expert panels and awarded grades so that patients can judge the quality of care offered by their doctor, as reported in Doctors to be graded for quality of service - Britain - Times Online. The Royal College of General Practictioners devised this plan to parallel government plans to publish detailed patient surveys of each doctor's performance. It is being compared to the Michelen's star program already familar to consumers. Two-day assessments and new evaluations are to be conducted every three years by a panel consisting of a doctor, nurse, office manager and patient representative. It will apply to all providers and will assist patients in choosing between the health firms moving to the private sector.
Some healthcare reformers have suggested implementing a similar plan in the United States, arguing that existing quality measures are often difficult for the average consumer to interpret. One recently-launched program is HealthGrades Medical Care Cost Reports, sponsored by Health Grades,Inc., an independent ratings organization providing ratings, profiles, and pricing information for hospital-based procedures for consumers.