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Internists demand right to review quality ratings

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, June 6, 2007

The American College of Physicians (ACP) adopted a set of principles at its April annual meeting asserting that physicians have the right to review quality ratings before payers publicize the information or use it to determine physicians' pay, according to www.amednews.com, an online publication of the American Medical Association.

The ACP also created an appeals procedure that provides the opportunity for physicians to append comments to any public ratings reports that they believe are inaccurate. Internists, who compose the majority of ACP members, want payers to allow physicians to challenge ratings based on various factors (e.g., validity, reliability, appropriateness, and sample size).

Further, the ACP stated that payers carry the responsibility to clearly explain the evidence base and analytical methodology used in any quality measurement program.

ACP President David Dale, MD, is quoted in the article as saying, "We're very supportive of quality measurement. But those measures have to be validated and fairly applied."

The full article can be found at www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/06/04/prsd0604.htm. The ACP press release is at www.acponline.org/college/pressroom/ratings.htm.

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