DoctorQuality includes those features, but goes further by asking doctors and hospitals to report how their patients fared. The company also invites consumers to answer detailed satisfaction surveys on their care. David J. Shulkin, DoctorQuality's chief executive officer, said the extra input was crucial. The company's product, MyQualityCoach, debuted Oct. 16, but will remain a work in progress for many years. Because of the nature of medicine .
Several factors make the company's launch timely.
DoctorQuality is marketing its product to businesses, whose insurance premiums are expected to rise as much as 30 percent in the United States over the next year. Many large employers, such as Bethlehem Steel Corp., a DoctorQuality client, have bought into the idea that improving medical quality for workers will save money. DoctorQuality also is coming online as health consumers are growing ever more assertive. Requests for medical information are expanding exponentially, making health one of the most active areas on the Net. Not everyone believes that the company's concept will flourish.