Massachusetts Health 

Partners Performa

Reporting

Barbra G. Rabso

MHQP Executive Dire

FTC Roundtable 

October 30, 2008
MHQP’s Track Recor

s Track Recor

Measurement and Public 

Measurement and Public 

• Hospital Measures

– First in the nation statewide hospital survey 

experiences with public release (1998)

• Clinical HEDIS Measures

– Aggregate performance reports of physicia

and physician group clinical performance umeasures with public release for 150 medic2008)

• Patient Experience Measures

– First in the nation statewide survey of patie

with their primary care physician office with over 400 practice sites (2006). Primary care in 2008; 3 specialties added

© 2008 MH
MHQP -Established as a B

Established as a B

Collaborative in 19

Collaborative in 19

• Provider Organizations

– MA Hospital Association– MA Medical Society– 2 MHQP Physician Council 

representatives

• Government Agency

– MA Executive Office of Health 

and Human Services

• Employers

– Analogue Devices

• Health Plan

– Blue Cross 

Massachus

– Fallon Com– Harvard Pilg– Health New – Neighborho– Tufts Health 

• Consumers

– Exec. Direc

All

– Exec. Direc

Serve

• Academic

– Harris Berm

© 2008 MHQP
MHQP’s Goal

Health care information you 

• MHQP provides reliable inform

help physicians improve the qcare they provide their patientconsumers take an active role informed decisions about theicare.

© 2008 MHQ
Engaging Physician

Engaging Physician

“A voice at the table is 

“Physicians know all their concerns 

going to be met, but to be able to what is really important and have seriously and used to modify the pis worth everything.”

Karen B

Former MHQP Physician Counc

© 2008 MHQP. 
Contrasts in Consumer and P

Contrasts in Consumer and P

Preferences for Compar

Preferences for Compar

Performance Informat

Performance Informat

Consumers• Symbols they can easily 

recognize and interpret

• Simple messages with as 

few caveats as possible

• Synthesis of results 

across measures with drill down to details for those interested

Physicians• No “judgm

statistical 

• Full disclo

limitationsmethodolo

• Individual 

results sinare not inctypes of ccategory

© 2008 MHQP. A
Impact of MHQP Impact of MHQP

’s Repor

s Repor

Clinical HEDIS Measu

Clinical HEDIS Measu

To date, reporting of these measures 

greater impact on physician behaconsumer behavior 

• Massachusetts physicians have improved 

measures that can be trended over the la

• Public release has influenced physician o

investments in information systems to sup

• Physician organizations use MHQP’s inte

performance reports to reward individual the group 

But...hard to get consumers eng

measures 

© 2008 MHQP. 
Consumer Consumer Focus Group Resp

Focus Group Res

MHQP’s Publicly Reported In

s Publicly Reported In

• Clinical Quality: Breast Cancer Screening

– Consumers want outcome data

• “I don’t care about whether anyone else go

concerned about the percentage of cured t

screening] and what percentage [that is]”

• Patient Experience: Communication Domain

– Consumers want this type of information 

• “It provides you a lot of information on wha

are.”

• Information = Empowerment

“Having options and the ability to make a choice w“Taking charge of my health because now I can m

on information that I didn’t have before”

– Improving the quality of care

“I would hope they [doctors] would use this as feed

practices”

© 2008 MHQP. 
Consumer Focus Group Su

Consumer Focus Group Su

• MHQP’s concept of quality resonates with 

– Patient experience information– Outcome information for clinical quality

• Efficiency not ‘top of mind’ for consumers

– Challenge to understand– Associated efficiency with business, n– Concerned that efficient practices may 

• Consumers Also Want 

– An independent, reliable source for inf– To know how the information is collect– Individual physician level data– Physician and office characteristics

© 2008 MHQP. 
Tour of MHQP Webs

Tour of MHQP Webs
© 2008 MHQP
© 2008 MHQP
© 2008 MHQ
© 
© 200

Massachusetts Statewide 

and National Benchma
© 2008 MHQ
© 200
For more information abou

For more information abou

Barbra Rabson 

Executive Directo

rabson@mhqp.or

617- 402-5015 

Website: www.mhqp