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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Judith K. Barr, ScD¹, Shulamit L. Bernard, PhD², Tierney E. Giannotti, MPA¹, Nancy Lenfesty, MHA³, Shoshanna Sofaer, Dr PH⁴, David Miranda, PhD⁵, and Kevin W. Smith, MA⁶. (1) Qualidigm, 100 Roscommon Drive, Suite 200, Middletown, CT 06457-1591, 860-632-6375, jbarr@qualidigm.org, (2) Program on Health Care Quality and Outcomes, RTI International, P. O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, (3) Health Care Quality, Organization, and Delivery, RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194, (4) Baruch College, One Bernard Baruch Way, D615, New York, NY 10010, (5) Center for Beneficiary Choices/Beneficiary Education & Analysis Group, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S1-13-05, Baltimore, MD 21244, (6) RTI International, 411 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA 02452-8414

Physicians have the opportunity when seeing patients to serve as information intermediaries to present, explain, and discuss data from hospital quality reports, such as information from the HCAHPS survey of patients' perspectives of care. This role can be critical when a decision is being made about a planned hospitalization. In a qualitative study, we interviewed 57 physicians in six areas of the country in two rounds of interviewing; the second round, conducted a year later, focused on three areas with an established history of public reporting. The interviews explored reactions to patient concerns about hospital quality; willingness to use quality reports in talking with patients and in making hospital referrals; concerns about public reporting of clinical and patient experience measures; and the importance of HCAHPS in an array of quality measures. The analysis examined differences between physicians' responses in the states/regions with different public reporting experience. A third set of interviews is being conducted with physicians to test messages that promote physician-patient dialogue around public reports of hospital quality.

Research results reveal consistent themes describing physicians' responses to patients' concerns and data reports on hospital quality, as well as differences across the regions. The results suggest where there may be opportunities to promote patient-physician interaction about hospital quality. The findings also suggest cautions about what to expect when those interactions occur and indicate areas of physician concern that may be addressed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe reactions of physicians to reports of hospital quality performance.
• Discuss physician response to clinical performance and patient experience measures.
• Identify suggestions for ways of making physicians aware of HCAHPS data and encouraging them to use it with patients.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation