CAqualityratings.org ranks more than 10,000 California physicians in eight specialties on 13 quality metrics.
This story originally appeared in California Healthfax.
A new website launched this month rates physicians on how well they administer preventive care and manage chronic health conditions.
The website, established by the California Healthcare Performance Information System (CHPI), includes data on more than 10,000 California physicians.
The site rates physicians on a one- to four-star system in eight specialties using a system with more than a dozen metrics that measure how well physicians manage chronic health conditions.
"CAqualityratings.org is a first-of-its-kind consumer resource that can empower the consumer's ability to talk with the physician and compare how other providers are rated throughout California," said Liz Helms, president and CEO of the California Chronic Care Coalition in a statement.
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"Access to physician information will help equip California consumers with the tools they need to make good health choices and be effective advocates for their own care."
Focus on Prevention
Unlike other physician rating sites, CAqualityratings.org focuses specifically on preventive care and how physicians manage chronic conditions for patients.
Physicians rated on the website include primary care physicians, cardiologists, pediatricians, and pulmonologists. Consumers can search for physicians by name or search by city name or ZIP code.
The clinical quality measures on which physicians are rated include screening patients age 50–69 for breast cancer and monitoring diabetes patients for neuropathy and hypertension.
Primary care physicians are also rated on how well they follow protocols for monitoring blood sugar levels and kidney function for diabetes patients and for diabetes care in general.
For pediatricians, clinical measures include testing children for pharyngitis and conducting annual well-child visits.
"The system rates physicians on 13 separate quality measures," said David Lansky, president and CEO of the Pacific Business Group on Health and a member of the CHPI board of directors.
"It's unique in that it rates physicians on how they care for patients with chronic conditions and screen patients for cancer and other ailments."
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Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, UnitedHealthcare of California, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provided data for the ratings and helped create the website.
Data from more than 10 million patient files was used to compile the ratings, Lansky said.
CMS certified the criteria used to rate physicians and the process that allows physicians to review and correct their results, according to CHPI officials.