title: The searchers, II: How consumers can find cost-effective, quality health care.
abstract: The original "Searchers" article appeared in the March 2000 issue of Employee Benefits Journal. It described the use of a patient satisfaction survey at Southwest Texas State University (SWT) to assist employees at the annual open enrollment period to better select their managed care organization (MCO). This article revisits that process, but further describes the subsequent publication of a recommended list of preferred physicians and the use of the peer review to report consumer concerns about the performance of individual physicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Administration, Southwest Texas State University (SWT), USA.
authors.forename: Oren
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Renick
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Metzler
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care; D010820:Physicians / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013781:Texas; D014495:Universities