Managing physician practice patterns: providing information feedback to improve quality care & reduce cost.

The current movement for health care reform has inspired the search for new and better ways to improve the quality of health care and contain cost. Hospital and the health services management professionals have increasingly embraced the methodology of assessing physician practice patterns to achieve these goals. One such method, computerized feedback systems, may open a door to the future that will allow physicians to compare their practice patterns with those of their peers. Such systems may enable physicians to modify their practice patterns, improve quality care and reduce cost.