Consumer Reports for Healthcare

Today the New England Journal of Medicine published an article entitled, “Public Release of Clinical Outcomes Data — Online CABG Report Cards.” It describes an incredible first in terms of publically available data on a major surgical procedure — coronary-atery bypass grafting (CABG).

The NEJM reports that the publishers of Consumer Reports (Consumer Union) has issued the results of this procedure at 221 U.S. cardiac sugery programs. This is the kind of data that for years only the participants in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has been able to see and review. Now this public version assigns star ratings to each surgical program that has chosen to make its data public. Consumers will also see actual performance scores in four sub-categories in addition to the overall star ratings.

As a first of its kind public report, there are sure to be many points of view on how this data will be used by consumers. But there certainly is no doubt that it is a move in the direction of accountability and transparency. The STS has provided a model for future public measures by others that can be accepted by both consumers and care providers. Imagine a future where we can all be as informed about our healthcare choices as we are about our flat screen television purchases. Well, perhaps we can hope for it to be less confusing than the flat screen market.