By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    photo of hands with blue veins
    8 Proven Tips on Finding Difficult Veins
    November 12, 2021
    tips for getting over the pandemic blues
    4 Proven Ways to Get Over the Pandemic Blues
    February 22, 2022
    medical industry innovations
    How is CNC Machining Transforming the Medical Industry?
    June 2, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Opiate Overdose Symptoms Families of Addicts Must Know
    February 5, 2021
    Image
    Unnecessary Regulations that Increase Prescription Drug Costs
    April 9, 2013
    Here’s How To Manage Healthcare Costs As A Business
    December 23, 2018
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Healthcare Compass: Comparing Primary Care Quality in Massachusetts
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > Healthcare Compass: Comparing Primary Care Quality in Massachusetts
eHealthSocial Media

Healthcare Compass: Comparing Primary Care Quality in Massachusetts

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) just launched Healthcare Compass, an informative and easy-to-navigate site for patients seeking comparative information on the quality of physician practices in the state. The site presents data on 19 elements of patient experience and clinical quality for adult practices and 14 for pediatric practices.

Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) just launched Healthcare Compass, an informative and easy-to-navigate site for patients seeking comparative information on the quality of physician practices in the state. The site presents data on 19 elements of patient experience and clinical quality for adult practices and 14 for pediatric practices.

For example, patient experience includes feedback on how well doctors communicate with their patients and willingness to recommend the provider to family and friends. Clinical quality includes measures such as yearly follow-up to monitor patients on long-term medication and appropriate use of imaging for lower back pain.

I tested the site out and recommend it for those who are seeking a new primary care doctor or who are curious about how their current practice compares with others.

More Read

Next Phase of Self-Tracking for Health: Mood Trackers?
5 Trends for FY15 Shaping the Future of Health and Healthcare Delivery
Practice Fusion’s Partnership with Merck, and Its Data Implications
Dramatic Shifts in Health and Technology in the Last 3 Years Impact Physicians
New FCC Rules Enable Wireless Networks for Patient Monitoring
Local practice comparison

Local practice comparison

Here’s what I especially like:

  • The information presented is based on sound methodologies. Sample sizes are significant and where there is insufficient data (pretty rare for the practices I reviewed) no rating is given
  • The ratings are done on a three point scale (full circle, half circle, empty circle) and all three ratings are used, even for some of the top practices
  • It’s possible to compare multiple practices on one page
  • Each rating has a clickable link that provides four tabs: a summary of the measure and how it’s derived, what you can do, what your doctor can do, and helpful resources
  • Every comparison page can be emailed or printed
  • In general, the ratings are consistent with my perception of the strengths and weaknesses of the practices with which I am familiar
  • The organization behind the ratings (MHQP), is an independent, multi-stakeholder collaborative whose goal is to provide useful, unbiased information. You don’t see advertising on this site or some other business model that exploits the consumer

Of course, one website is not going to provide everything one could want. I do have a wish list of things I’d love to see, perhaps in future iterations of the site

  • Information is presented at the practice site level. There is no information on individual physicians. The practice site level does have real advantages: many of the measures are more reflective of the practice than the doctor, it helps with achieving statistical significance, and it keeps physicians from rebelling against the ratings. Still, some measures such as “how well doctors communicate with patients” are doctor specific and in my experience there is real variation within a practice
  • Users can compare specific practices that are close to a specific zip code or address. That’s useful but it prevents patients from generating a ranking of the top practices. I would be willing to travel if practices elsewhere were significantly better than those near my home
  • The measures are all interesting and useful on their own, but there’s no composite measure. The closest is “willingness to recommend,” which incidentally is the only measure expressed on a percentage basis. My practice gets a top rating on tests to monitor kidney disease and a poor rating on yearly follow-up to monitor patients on long-term medication. It’s hard to make a decision on that basis
  • The physician search functionality is somewhat weak. Put in a name like “Smith” and the site will bring up several practices but without revealing which Dr. Smith it is. (Joe Smith? Patti Smith? Smith Wesson?)
  • The information is limited to primary care. I don’t know that MHQP is in a position to do much about that in the near term but I put it out there because it’s important

All in all, Healthcare Compass is a great edition to the resources available to consumers.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Telehealth Tipping Points

February 25, 2013
eHealthGlobal HealthcareHealth careNewsSurgery

Robots Are Being Programmed To Perform Spine Surgeries

November 25, 2019
patient engagement
eHealthSocial Media

Chat 130: When Patients Are Their Own Leaders

June 5, 2013
my brains - let me show you them
BusinesseHealthSocial MediaTechnologyWebcast

How Social Media Helped 14.5 Million People Watch Live Brain Surgery

May 12, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?