UPMC To Post Satisfaction Surveys, Star Ratings Of Doctors
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Choosing a doctor could become easier under a new program by UPMC.
The health care giant is now posting online satisfaction surveys, with the goal of helping patients make the right choice for them.
A five-star system with published comments from patients, coming from within UPMC; lets' deal with the objectivity issue right up front.
KDKA's John Shumway: How much objectivity can there be when you're posting comments about your own doctors? I mean, you're not going to put terrible comments on there."
"Oh yes, we will, and if you go and look, you will find them," says UPMC's Chief Quality Officer Tami Minnier. "The things that we've removed, the only things that we've removed arbitrarily are, one, if there was profanity of inappropriate language."
And, two, if a patient's name is included, which would violate privacy laws.
Minnier says the comments come from a survey by an outside vendor.
"This is the actual survey process regulated by the federal government, and then we get our own copy of the information directly from the vendor," Minnier says.
That has been going on for some time, but only now the comments – good and bad – on about 1,600 doctors are being made public.
Dr. Anthony Spinola, of UPMC Internal Medicine, says they've been seeing the survey comments for some time, and he has no problem with the public seeing them as well.
"As a physician, I don't think we should shy away from a negative comment or two if they occur because it gives patients the opportunity to look at those in the context of everybody else who may feel they got good care or their health or life was improved," says Dr. Spinola.
The physicians can appeal if they think a comment should not be published.
"That appeal actually goes to a group of physicians who review it and decide if it should be posted or not. Surprisingly, most of them are posted," says Minnier.
Even before UPMC's ratings went live Allegheny Health Network was working on a system of its own; although, there is no timetable for when ratings for Allegheny Health Network doctors will be available.
Minnier joined "The KDKA Morning News" to talk about the satisfaction survey and patients' comments going public.
She said she knows it won't be an easy transition for the physicians.
"Our physicians are tremendous. They're highly respected, highly motivated," she said, adding most doctors want the transparency it will give patients.
"[For some], it's a harder transition and it's been difficult for some to accept, but the majority [of doctors] are very supportive," she said.
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