Used to be finding a reliable, automated and
affordable physician profiling solution was
like embarking on a quest to find the Holy Grail…in
fact, finding the Grail had higher odds!! Not
any longer. MIDAS+ Statit has changed all of
that. For an example, refer
to an article written by the staff at Kaiser
Permanente San Diego. But first, let's learn
more about physician profiles and some of the
inherent challenges they create.
The application of web-based information technology
and data analysis tools to the on-going professional
practice evaluation (OPPE) mandate from The
Joint Commission enhances the capability and
capacity of leading healthcare organizations
to look at the data on performance for all practitioners
with privileges on an ongoing basis, which allows
them to take steps to improve performance on
a more timely basis. Data used "correctly"
helps improve the output of the resources we
have available.
What is "correctly?" One of
the most fundamental questions to be addressed
when debating solutions for improving healthcare
services is to ask, "How do we know when
the healthcare services we provide are good?"
The answer is deceptively simple but also hides
the complexity in the process…from the
"cheap seats," we hear the answer…
"Measure those services!" Measuring
those services by regularly accessing and analyzing
the data for significant events or outliers
over time, helps us understand if and/or when
our process is not behaving properly. Unusual
or unpredictable process behavior can often
result in poor outcomes and high costs. Okay,
you say, we are all on board with improving
the quality of services, improving the patient
experience, lowering costs and ensuring reimbursement
from payers; but have you seen the shape of
our data lately? Do you know how many physicians
we need to provide performance scorecards and
evaluations? How about comparisons to an internal
peer-group and how do our physicians compare
to an external database of similar specialties?
How can I simply and securely make this information
available to the targeted doctor? We want to
provide our physicians with timely information
which, for certain measures, is monthly, others
quarterly and still others, semi-annually -
Do we have to manually create these each period?
How can the CMO review the physician profile,
sign off on the review and trigger an automated
alert for the next review? How can Statit Physician
Profile & Review (PPR) help?!?!?
Relax, get into the lotus position, take several
cleansing breaths in and out and picture yourself
on a white, sandy beach in the Bahamas. Now
that we have reduced our blood pressure, let's
tackle the task at hand. First, it is all about
the data! Where are the data necessary for the
physician profile located and who is responsible
for collecting, validating and communicating
information about them? Recall that The Joint
Commission requires that we evaluate the performance
of each physician relative to six (6) general
competencies including:
1. Patient Care
2. Medical & Clinical Knowledge
3. Professionalism
4. Interpersonal & Communication
5. System Based Practice
6. Practice Based Learning & Improvement
The Data Curmudgeon
Measurement data necessary for "competency
evaluations" can include case reviews,
surveys, event reports, personnel evaluations,
severity-adjusted outcomes for LOS and mortality,
process and structure data, just to name a few.
This type of data is housed in many sources
of varied types and formats on your network.
Can I connect to these data sources for utilization
with OPPE and physician profiles?
Of course! Statit PPR "owns no data,"
and therefore, makes a perpetual connection
to your data sources (MIDAS+, Excel, MS Access
or SQL databases, text, url, etc.) by utilizing
a simple, yet powerful function that allows
you to connect to the multiple data sources
of your choice. Once these connections are successfully
made, the connections are permanent. And once
the data sources are updated, Statit PPR automatically
"detects" the new or changed data
and automates the physician performance reports
including the scorecard, trend output, peer
comparisons, detail encounter information, etc.
The Physician Profile
Let's take a look at an example profile utilizing
data for hospitalist as attending. As each profile
is confidential, the user (individual physician
or medical officer/department chair) logs in
and, based on permissions, is provided with
a secure, confidential look at the physician
scorecard. To begin, we have logged in as the
medical officer/department chair who is responsible
for the performance evaluations.
The default view from the medical officer shows
the aggregation of all physicians. First, note
the type of profile (by attending attribution),
then the department, division, or specialty
being profiled and finally, the date range of
the profile. In our first section, we see Volume
and Acuity to provide insight as to the physicians'
level of activity at our facility. The next
six sections (we have cropped the image above)
represent the six core competencies mandated
by The Joint Commission. You can see a wealth
of information provided including the Status
of each measure in the profile (red, yellow
or green stoplight), an indication of how our
current "Peer Score" information compared
to last period, the measure/indicator itself
(more on this later), an internal target, and
any statistical process control (SPC) alert.
The data feeding the profile provides for dynamic
and actionable information.
The medical officer can drill into individual
providers' scorecards, their trend and patient
data and, if needed, perform a "detailed
drill down" analysis. External data sources
house comparative and measure definition (MIDAS+
provides an excellent option to you for these
external comparative reports - please see your
Statit salesperson for more information).
OPPE requires that the physician be evaluated
on a regular basis. How is that information
created and retained in Statit PPR?
The medical officer accesses individual physicians
in the following manner:
The list includes only those physicians with
the designation of hospitalist as attending.
The medical officer can bring up each physician
scorecard, drill down to the indicator detail,
and add any annotation/comment and corrective
action necessary for improvement. Very important
to the evaluation process is the "sign
off" on the review, easing the burden on
the recredentialing process and archiving the
evaluation throughout history for each physician.
Other Value Created by Statit
What does the individual profile look like?
How are peers established and what about provider
"blinding?" Are alerts automated?
Can I create my own measures? What is the pricing
model? You probably have a number of questions
and Statit has the answers.
Please give us a call at 800.478.2892 or send
email to
. Ask about a no-obligation, personalized demonstration
of the Statit Physician Profile & Review
solution. Our functionality cannot be matched…our
price cannot be beat!
