Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care
About Me
Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care

Hello, my name is Gregory. When I was a young lad, I had to enter the health care world in an unexpected way. I developed a serious disease out of the blue that took doctors by surprise. I went through so many different testing procedures before my doctors could diagnose the rare disease. Everyone around me reeled as they tried to understand the purpose and process of the diagnostic tests. I hope to help others understand these important tests better through this website. Please come by often to learn all you need to know about medical diagnostics and working closely with health care professionals.

Talking About Diagnostic Tests For Medical Care

Quality Metrics For Doctors Accepting Medicaid: Why And How Your Patient Surveys Matter

Nanja Bongers

Quality metrics are frequently used for business operations such as telephone representatives at a call center. Rarely do you think of how quality metrics are used in other situations, but this is fast becoming how companies manage employee payment and determination of raises. As of just this year, Medicare began regulating the frequency and amount of payments to doctors and medical facilities based on quality metrics. Commonly known as QRS, or quality payment program, doctors and medical facilities that accept Medicare are now required to get quality care reports from patients so that Medicare will pay the doctors/facilities. Here is how and why your patient surveys in these matters matter.

How Your Patient Surveys Are Used

After each interaction with a doctor or after receiving care in a medical facility, you will be asked about the quality of care you received. You can choose not to fill out the survey, but that would be a remiss. Every patient that fills out a survey has the results of the survey logged and sent to Medicare. The care provider/doctor is evaluated on these survey results, and then Medicare determines how often and how much to pay that care provider.

If you score the provider low, he or she will not be paid much or as often by Medicare. If you give high marks, your care provider is paid better and more frequently. Ergo, you have more power and control over what your doctor earns.

Why Your Patient Survey Matters

Sure, you do not have enough time to respond to a patient survey, but if you do not, those that do respond may rank a good doctor much lower. This hurts your doctor financially, and he or she may not be willing to take Medicare payments going forward. If enough people with a positive opinion of the doctor or facility do not fill out the quality report survey, and there are too many negative reports/survey results, your doctor may also lose his/her ability to accept Medicare insurance, and then you would be left to find another doctor.

While you have more control over the quality of care you receive, you also have control over your doctor's payments, future acceptance of Medicare, and ability to treat you. Most people who are not happy with a doctor or medical facility will leave it up to chance. However, if you really love your doctor and/or your medical facility of choice, you need to fill out the patient satisfaction surveys whenever possible.


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