Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia Launches Zagat Health Survey Tool

/PRNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGA) today announced the launch of the Zagat Health Survey tool, an online survey tool that will allow its members to share their physician experiences with other members throughout the state.

"Zagat is widely known and trusted for its ability to help people share and learn from other consumer experiences. By working with them we are able to create a trusted resource for our members that will actively engage them in sharing and using that information," said Monye Connolly, president of BCBSGA. "We are committed to providing our members with useful information to better help them navigate the health care system. Making information available, such as the patient experience information contained in the Zagat Health Survey, along with other quality and cost transparency information, is part of that commitment."

The Zagat Survey enables BCBSGA to address an unmet need for peer-to-peer interaction among health care consumers. The Zagat Health Survey tool provides a vehicle for members to review physicians based on a set of distinct criteria, creating a trusted resource to support informed member decision-making. The criteria are solely designed to reflect a consumer's experience with a physician and not to reflect the quality of care received. This tool not only helps members, but is also designed to assist doctors in understanding members' experiences.

The online survey tool allows consumers to review their doctor visits based on:

-- Trust - Confidence in the physician's approach
-- Communication - Physician's bedside manner, responsiveness and rapport
-- Availability - Convenience for making appointments and physician's
punctuality
-- Environment - Condition of the office, staff helpfulness, atmosphere
and amenities

Members are also asked whether they would recommend their doctor to others. The survey also features a comments section, allowing members to explain their ratings.

The online entry will display physician contact information, ratings on a 30-point scale for each of the four categories, and the percentage of members who recommend that physician. The most recent comments will be displayed first, and members will have the option to rate the usefulness of comments and report suspicious comments. BCBSGA members can complete the Zagat Health Survey by logging on to the secure member portal on the BCBSGA Web site.

"For physicians the Zagat survey tool can provide valuable, objective feedback on how their patients feel about them and their practice, information that often remains unknown," said Dr. Robert McCormack, medical director for BCBSGA. "For consumers, the survey can provide information to help them select a physician who is most likely aligned with their personal style and who will meet their health care needs. All-in-all, it is a viable mechanism that could very well change the way health care is measured and delivered throughout Georgia."

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New Single Source Location for HIPAA & HIT Information

/PRNewswire/ -- Several nationally recognized healthcare experts have joined forces to create HIPAA.com, a single-source resource site where visitors will find access to HIPAA regulations, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) updates, and practical guidance on what to do to meet new regulations.

"Most of our readers are seeking help on ARRA's requirement that Business Associates become covered entities, effective February 20, 2010," says Edward D. Jones, III, founding partner of HIPAA.com and leading authority on healthcare, insurance, electronic remittance/payments, and electronic health record (EHR) issues. Jones also was a founding commissioner of the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) and served as the Chair of the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI).

While HIPAA.com serves as a single-source search site, the founders are clear about not offering legal advice. "We refer these inquiries to our health law partners, many of whom will soon be listed on our site," says David Cargile, co-founder of HIPAA.com. Cargile is CEO of Cargile Consulting, Inc. and previously served as the CEO of the Centris Group, U.S. Benefits, and USF Reinsurance Company and Reinsurance Facilities Corporation.

"HIPAA.com is the go-to resource for all information and services related to privacy laws and policies. [HIPAA.com] has expanded to guide health systems and providers in benefiting from the new Health Information Technology stimulus dollars. HIPAA.com is now a great source for both privacy and HIT," says Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH, Vice President of Primary Care at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, CA.

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