Measuring Physicians' Performances and Marketing the RESULTS: A Breast Cancer Model

The recent transition to managed care has intensified the public's concerns about the quality of medical care. In response, payers, who until recently seemed preoccupied with costs, are demonstrating a renewed interest in value, which in turn could lead to an expansion of negotiations with physicians to include the tracking of such issues as physician performance, patient satisfaction, and patient outcomes. As a response to public concern and demand for accountability, the medical establishment must develop methods to assist payers in estimating relative value of competing medical services. In anticipation of a values transition in their specialty, breast care, the authors established a performance-oriented database which facilitated assessments of their performance in relation to community standards, and enhanced efforts to identify and correct performance deficiencies. Year-end results were summarized in a report-card format that improved marketability. The author's experiences should be of interest to physicians who are attempting to respond to changes in the rapidly evolving medical marketplace.