Surgeon Scorecard - Good or Bad?

There has been a media frenzy regarding ProPublica's Surgeon Scorecard which rates how "good" a surgeon is based on calculated death and complication rates for surgeons performing one of eight elective procedures. Unfortunately, a surgeon paradox will develop where one may actually WANT the surgeon with the WORST score because a surgeon with the BEST score refuses to operate on a high-risk patient. Why? Although great in concept, the Surgeon Scorecard introduces the law of u…

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Greater Patient Satisfaction At Expense of Better Care?

Much has been made about improving patient satisfaction in the healthcare industry in the belief that greater patient satisfaction equates with better health. To this end, patients are routinely asked to complete a survey based on their impressions on the care they received. BUT... does greater patient satisfaction actually result in or is the result of better care??? According to a recent study ... higher patient satisfaction actually resulted in: • Greater inpatient hospitalization •…

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