Are Cardiologist Report Cards Harming Patients?

Great, yet another reason to be on our toes!

A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (June 7, 2005) gives evidence that doctors practicing in states that require the public reporting of patient-outcomes data are holding back potentially life-saving medical care from patients who are at high risk. The reporting of such outcomes data, both for individual doctors and for hospitals, is required in several states, and is widely regarded as a means of improving the quality of medical care.

I hope this link works. It's at http://heartdisease.about.com/

Scroll down to about the middle of the page and you should be able to see the topic in bold fonts. Dr. Rich critiques this article and always seems to be unbiased to me. You get the pros and cons of report cards.

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I can't understand why that link won't work. If you go to about.com and type in heart disease in the search bar you will come to a page that will have a section where you will scroll down to "On the about network: heart disease" and then click on the first subject "Heart Disease/Cardiology Site." It will take you to that page. I do not understand why it will not show and it's so darned aggravating. Maybe it's because I subscribe. I did it this way and the link is different. Arghhh: Try this: http://heartdisease.about.com/index.htm?terms=heart+disease

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I just copied and pasted the above email address into the search and it took me to the front page, then just click on that to read the article. Which, by the way, Kathy, was very interesting! My understanding (according to this article) is that when Dr.'s have to report mortality rates to the State they tend to 'not' do riskier surgeries on cardiac patients so that they keep their records cleaner? WoW! That's really scary!!

Thanks, Kathy!

Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Yes it is scary!

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Scarier still, to BE the one messing up their mortality rates!

yikes, yes!

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