title: Transforming health care service delivery and provider selection.
abstract: Commoditization pressures in medicine have risked transforming service provider selection from "survival of the fittest" to "survival of the cheapest." Quality- and safety-oriented mandates by the Institute of Medicine have led to the creation of a number of data-driven quality-centric initiatives including Pay for Performance and Evidence-Based Medicine. A synergistic approach to creating quantitative accountability in medical service delivery is through the creation of consumer-oriented performance metrics which provide patients with objective data related to individual service provider quality, safety, cost-efficacy, efficiency, and customer service. These performance metrics could in turn be customized to the individual preferences and health care needs of each individual patient, thereby providing an objective methodology for service provider selection while empowering health care consumers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, 10 North Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. breiner1@comcast.net
authors.forename: Bruce I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Reiner
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000379:methods; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D011871:Radiology / Q000592:standards*; D000078329:Workforce