http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-decide-hospitals.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-decide-hospitals.html#comment-123906 marvin Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:28:42 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=42221#comment-123906 Often, decisions have to be made by the feel of an institution. Two teaching hospitals in Chicago, both with excellent reputations and large endowments have differing approaches to patients on the financial end. One requires you to sign as guarantor for all fees for all services regardless of insurance. The other tells you up front that if you are uninsured, your bill will be automatically discounted by 50%. When I feel that the first imperative in a hospital is to make money, I'm suspicious of anything recommended and therefor go to the hospital that seems to put the patient first. Often, decisions have to be made by the feel of an institution. Two teaching hospitals in Chicago, both with excellent reputations and large endowments have differing approaches to patients on the financial end. One requires you to sign as guarantor for all fees for all services regardless of insurance. The other tells you up front that if you are uninsured, your bill will be automatically discounted by 50%. When I feel that the first imperative in a hospital is to make money, I’m suspicious of anything recommended and therefor go to the hospital that seems to put the patient first.

]]> http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/01/patients-decide-hospitals.html#comment-123884 Ed Pullen Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:53:55 +0000 http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/?p=42221#comment-123884 Probably the worst place to look for quality of individual physicians is at the insurance company based patient feedback sites. In WA the largest insurer has such a feature, and give physicians a rating based on patient feedback to specific questions. This is essentially always based on an extremely small sample size, usually 1-3 patients per physician have completed the rating scale, but until you look into the details it looks like a valid "quality" rating. I would not be opposed to seeing both the quality and cost data for hospitals made available, as long as the methods and measures are clearly stated. Probably the worst place to look for quality of individual physicians is at the insurance company based patient feedback sites. In WA the largest insurer has such a feature, and give physicians a rating based on patient feedback to specific questions. This is essentially always based on an extremely small sample size, usually 1-3 patients per physician have completed the rating scale, but until you look into the details it looks like a valid “quality” rating.
I would not be opposed to seeing both the quality and cost data for hospitals made available, as long as the methods and measures are clearly stated.

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