LOS ANGELES, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthCare Partners Medical Group’s performance earned scores at the top of the charts for Los Angeles’ four regions in the 2004-2005 Quality of Care Report Card. The medical group was among the highest ranking in several categories of clinical care, and the medical group’s patients once again gave the group high marks for satisfaction with the care they received.
The Quality of Care Report Card is an annual report published by the state’s Office of the Patient Advocate that compares medical organizations and physician groups in California. The report publishes measures on clinical care delivery (as part of health insurance plans’ annual Pay-for-Performance Initiative to improve patient care) and patient satisfaction (results of the Consumer Assessment Survey of patients). The Quality of Care Report Card was published recently by the State of California’s Office of the Patient Advocate.
HealthCare Partners performed exceptionally well on the “Getting the Right Medical Care” measures. The group scored best or highest in their service areas on childhood immunizations rates; asthma medication being given appropriately; testing of blood sugar levels for diabetic patients; testing cholesterol levels for patients after a cardiac event; and screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer. Overall, the group scored at or above the 90th percentile in several of these categories.
“Patients of HealthCare Partners can take heart in knowing that their doctors consistently screen for diseases and track patients who have chronic conditions,” said Dr. William Chin, Executive Medical Director of HealthCare Partners. “We have emphasized providing the right preventive care to keep patients as healthy as possible, while helping to control the overall cost of care.”
On the report card’s “Patient Rating of Care Experience” measure, HealthCare Partners has again received a two-star or “good” rating. No other Los Angeles based medical group received a higher rating, although several other Los Angeles medical groups also achieved the two-star score. This measure is based on results of the 2003 California Consumer Assessment Survey (CAS) of adult HMO members from 139 California medical groups and independent practice associations (IPAs).
The two-star rating means that three of every four patients reported favorable experiences with HealthCare Partners doctors and staff. The ratings show that HealthCare Partners physicians are especially good at communicating with patients, with 91% of patients believing that their doctors explained their care clearly; 87% reporting that their doctors listened carefully; 80% reporting that their doctors spent sufficient time with them; and 90% saying their doctor respects them. In addition to “Communicating with Patients,” other categories covered included “Getting Treatment and Specialty Care,” “Coordinating Patient Care,” and “Timely Care and Service”, and HealthCare Partners scored among the top medical groups in these categories as well.
For more information about the 2004-2005 Quality of Care Report Card or to obtain the full report, visit the Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA) web site at http://www.opa.ca.gov/.
HealthCare Partners Medical Group and its managed IPAs serve over 400,000 patients each year. The medical group provides medical services through 300 doctors at 28 neighborhood sites and four urgent care centers throughout greater Los Angeles. Its independent physician associations (IPAs) provide care through hundreds of other offices around Los Angeles County. For more information about HealthCare Partners, visit http://www.healthcarepartners.com/ or call (888) 715-4922.
HealthCare Partners
CONTACT: Kimi Mann of Mann & Associates, +1-323-256-5081, for HealthCarePartners
Web site: http://www.opa.ca.gov/
Web site: http://www.healthcarepartners.com/