The Blue National Transparency Initiative: Sharing Doctor and Hospital Information
Committed to helping Blue members become better informed healthcare consumers, the Blue Cross Blue Shield System is dedicated to making information about doctor and hospital quality more visible and accessible, or "transparent" to our members nationwide.
Why is Transparency Important?
By sharing information with our members, we are confident that they'll be able to make more informed choices about where they choose to go for care. And, we believe that informed choices can lead to better, more affordable care, including better patient outcomes, lower complication rates and fewer readmissions.
What is BCBS Doing to Help?
Based on extensive research with our members about what they value most, Blue Cross Blue Shield companies have enhanced our national online provider selection tool – BlueCard® Doctor and Hospital Finder – featuring three types of expanded information on doctors and hospitals:
- Clinical quality measures (patient safety ratings, complications index, etc.)
- Patient satisfaction measures (hospital ratings coming mid-2008)
- Demographic (medical specialties, etc.) and logistical (address, etc.) information
What are the Benefits of This Tool for Members?
- Wide variety of information is integrated into a single tool for member ease of use
- Clinical measures are presented in a simplified format
- Information provided is from credible sources
When and Where Will This Information be Made Available?
The expanded information is available now at BlueCard® Doctor and Hospital Finder. In the future, many BCBS Plans will also be making this data available to their members via their existing tools.
Where Can I Find Out More?
For more information, please contact your local Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield company.
