title: Physician report cards: now and in the future.
abstract: The six methods used to create physician performance reports-a less pejorative term than physician report cards-are seriously flawed. These current approaches are peer review, essay-style reports, raw data, statistical reports, outcome analysis, and aggregate variation from guidelines. We must deliver what we promise in information designed to confirm dependable practitioner performance. Otherwise, we risk confirming, instead, the public's suspicion that the emphasis in "managed care" is too much on managing profit and too little on patient care. This article explores a plan for how to proceed with evaluating physician performance.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Thompson
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking; D003363:Cost Control; D003406:Credentialing; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D007255:Information Services; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care / Q000379:methods; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States