AMA takes issue with CMS' new quality data

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services added performance data and new quality measures to its Physician Compare website to enable consumers to make more informed healthcare decisions.

The American Medical Association, however, says CMS has posted incomplete and potentially inaccurate information to the online resource that will only serve to misinform patients.

AMA expressed its “dismay” with CMS for publicly posting what it calls “problematic” information on the Physician Compare website that the group worries will lead consumers to draw faulty inferences about the quality of care that an individual physician or group provides.

“Given the widespread accuracy issues with the 2014 PQRS calculations, the newly released information is premature,” said AMA President Steven Stack, MD. “The data inaccuracies and difficulties with CMS’ processes grew over the last couple of months and, while CMS has acknowledged these problems, it has failed to address the underlying issues. Most importantly, consumers visiting the Physician Compare website are likely to get a false impression that it provides accurate quality information for all physicians, when in fact, due to significant data problems, the newly added information covers only about 40,000 physicians.” 

Thousands of other physicians who provide similar services were excluded due to data problems, Stack said. Although CMS has attempted to “mitigate the situation by explaining that the data may not be comprehensive, and patients should not assume that doctors are deficient in areas where no information is provided,” the “location of the disclaimer may not be immediately obvious to patients.”