Performance profiles: the influence of patient satisfaction data on physicians' practice.

OBJECTIVE: Health maintenance organizations and other payers increasingly use patient satisfaction data to profile physician performance. Little is known about physicians' use of patient satisfaction information or how profiles affect individual physician behaviors. The objective of this study was to examine primary care physicians' perceptions of performance profiles based on patient satisfaction data, whether physicians use profiles to change practice behaviors, and which profile components physicians think are important for assessing quality of care.
METHODS: A written survey was conducted in 1998 in Massachusetts with 810 primary care physicians (304 pediatricians, 201 family practitioners, 305 internists) who had at least 100 patients in a large managed care plan and had received 1 or more profiles based on patient satisfaction data. Physicians in training were excluded. Physicians' perceptions of profiles and their reported use to change practice behaviors were measured.
RESULTS: The response rate was 68%. Twenty-three percent reported that profiles were very or extremely useful for improving care. Only 7% reported using profiles often or always to change care. Although specific profile components related to interpersonal aspects of care were rated more useful, <11% reported using profiles often or always to make changes on any individual component. A majority, 67% to 89%, reported making no or minor changes on profile components. Responses did not vary by specialty, demographics, or practice characteristics. Physicians rated interpersonal factors (eg, ability to communicate with patients, ability to show caring and empathy) as the most important indicators of quality of care; they report having the most control over these factors. Office factors (eg, staying on schedule, ease of scheduling appointments) were ranked as least important for assessing quality of care.
CONCLUSION: Although health maintenance organizations and other payers increasingly use patient satisfaction reports to profile individual physicians and guide physician compensation and health plan participation, <25% of primary care physicians find profiles useful for improving patient care and even fewer report using profiles to change practice. Profiles likely have limited influence on behavior changes. Payers who invest in profiles may find it advantageous to focus on health plans and practice facilities rather than on individual physicians.