Upgraded design eases patient access when shopping for healthcare services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Thursday launched a "streamlined redesign" of eight existing healthcare compare tools on Medicare.gov.
The Care Compare provides a single user-friendly interface that allows patients easier access to data on cost, quality of care, volume of services, and other data.
"By aggregating all eight of CMS' quality tools into a single interface, patients can easily research different providers and facilities before they entrust themselves to their care," CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a media release.
"Today's launch of Care Compare is the next step in fulfilling our eMedicare promise. Our Administration is committed to ensuring our tools are robust and beneficial to patients," she said.
Under the existing framework, a patient planning to have bypass surgery would need to visit Hospital Compare, Nursing Home Compare, and Home Health Compare to research providers for the different phases of their surgery and rehabilitation.
Under the new system, patients can search at Care Compare to find and compare providers that meet their healthcare needs. The page will include information about quality measures presented similarly and clearly across all provider types and care settings.
"With just one click, patients can find information that is easy to understand about doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care services instead of searching through multiple tools," CMS said.
“By aggregating all eight of CMS' quality tools into a single interface, patients can easily research different providers and facilities before they entrust themselves to their care.”
CMS Administrator Seema Verma
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
Photo credit: II.studio / Shutterstock
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Under the existing framework, a patient planning to have bypass surgery would need to visit Hospital Compare, Nursing Home Compare, and Home Health Compare to research providers for the different phases of their surgery and rehabilitation.
Under the new system, patients can search at Care Compare to find and compare providers that meet their healthcare needs. The page will include information about quality measures presented similarly and clearly across all provider types and care settings.