The office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Education is proposing a "mystery shopper" approach to evaluate primary care physicians, according to an AAPC release.
The "mystery patients" would be used to collect data from physician offices to gauge availability of primary care physicians accepting new patients, assess the timeliness of PCP services and determine the reasons for primary care shortages.
Over 450 primary care physicians in nine states will be contacted by a "mystery patient" over a four-month period on two separate occasions. The patients will use two different scenarios, with a request for either a routine exam appointment or urgent medical concern from a new patient with public or private insurance.
The physician offices will then be contacted a third time using a direct questioning approach. The caller will inform the physician of his or her involvement in the study during the call.
Read the HHS proposed information collection request in the April 28 Federal Register.
Read the AAPC release on "mystery shoppers."
Related Articles on HHS:
HHS Approves First Planned Arizona Medicaid Cut
Former HHS Official Says ACOs Are a Joke
HHS to Invest Up to $1B for New Patient Safety Initiative
The "mystery patients" would be used to collect data from physician offices to gauge availability of primary care physicians accepting new patients, assess the timeliness of PCP services and determine the reasons for primary care shortages.
Over 450 primary care physicians in nine states will be contacted by a "mystery patient" over a four-month period on two separate occasions. The patients will use two different scenarios, with a request for either a routine exam appointment or urgent medical concern from a new patient with public or private insurance.
The physician offices will then be contacted a third time using a direct questioning approach. The caller will inform the physician of his or her involvement in the study during the call.
Read the HHS proposed information collection request in the April 28 Federal Register.
Read the AAPC release on "mystery shoppers."
Related Articles on HHS:
HHS Approves First Planned Arizona Medicaid Cut
Former HHS Official Says ACOs Are a Joke
HHS to Invest Up to $1B for New Patient Safety Initiative