Physicians wary of new national database that makes liability data public

HealthGrades says it will help patients make more informed choices. Doctors say such information is more complex than a paper report.

By Amy Lynn Sorrel, AMNews staff. May 21, 2007.

While physicians encourage patients to do their homework before choosing a doctor, they warn that HealthGrades Inc.'s new public national database of medical liability records might not tell the whole story.

The independent health care ratings company in March launched what it calls the first national database to combine all available public liability records. The data include closed claims reported through state agencies, such as medical boards or health departments, in 15 states: California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont and West Virginia.

The records detail whether the outcome was a judgment, settlement or arbitration award, and the exact amount or range of payment, depending on the state's reporting standards. HealthGrades consolidates the liability data with other background information on the doctor into a "physician profile" that patients can buy. The report includes other background information on a doctor, such as specialties, board certifications, state and federal disciplinary actions, and patient surveys.

"The goal is to give consumers a complete picture of that physician," stated Sarah Loughran, who is executive vice president of HealthGrades.

The liability data are not meant to stand alone as a litmus test of quality care, she said, but are intended to help patients make an informed decision by putting all the data in one place.

Doctors don't deny that patients should have access to the public records. But medical liability claims are more complex than a one-dimensional paper report, doctors say.