title: Physician groups' use of data from patient experience surveys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Massachusetts, physician groups' performance on validated surveys of patient experience has been publicly reported since 2006. Groups also receive detailed reports of their own performance, but little is known about how physician groups have responded to these reports.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether and how physician groups are using patient experience data to improve patient care.
  
  
  METHODS
  During 2008, we conducted semi-structured interviews with the leaders of 72 participating physician groups (out of 117 groups receiving patient experience reports). Based on leaders' responses, we identified three levels of engagement with patient experience reporting: no efforts to improve (level 1), efforts to improve only the performance of low-scoring physicians or practice sites (level 2), and efforts to improve group-wide performance (level 3).
  
  
  METHODS
  Groups' level of engagement and specific efforts to improve patient care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four group leaders (61%) reported group-wide improvement efforts (level 3), 16 (22%) reported efforts to improve only the performance of low-scoring physicians or practice sites (level 2), and 12 (17%) reported no performance improvement efforts (level 1). Level 3 groups were more likely than others to have an integrated medical group organizational model (84% vs. 31% at level 2 and 33% at level 1; P < 0.005) and to employ the majority of their physicians (69% vs. 25% and 20%; P < 0.05). Among level 3 groups, the most common targets for improvement were access, communication with patients, and customer service. The most commonly reported improvement initiatives were changing office workflow, providing additional training for nonclinical staff, and adopting or enhancing an electronic health record.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite statewide public reporting, physician groups' use of patient experience data varied widely. Integrated organizational models were associated with greater engagement, and efforts to enhance clinicians' interpersonal skills were uncommon, with groups predominantly focusing on office workflow and support staff.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Medicine, RAND, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02116, USA.
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Friedberg
authors.forename: Gillian K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: SteelFisher
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karp
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards*; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians