News: Physician Compare preview period closes on November 17

The Physician Compare preview period will close on November 17, according to the CMS website. The preview period allows providers to access their 2016 performance data as it will appear on the Physician Compare website profile pages and in the downloadable database later this year.

Providers can access the preview site through the Provider Quality Information Portal through November 17, at 8 p.m.,  at which point the site will be locked.

Even though the data is sealed in stone, so to speak, providers and CDI teams should take advantage of the preview period to see what areas need improvement. This period allows providers to get a jumpstart on improving quality scores before the data reaches the public.

The data can also help the CDI team benchmark their progress. For example, if the previous year showed poor marks for accidental lacerations and, after a chart audit, that issue was attributed to documentation, the CDI team can assess whether or not their educational and querying efforts made a difference to the actual physician scores.

Editor’s note: To download the guide to the Physician Compare preview period, click here. To read an ACDIS article about publically reported quality data, click here.