Sept. 27, 2016​

​​First in central Wisconsin to share patient experience survey data

Benefits renewal season is upon us. As consumers look to renew their commercial health insurance plans, searching for a plan via health care exchanges or looking for a new provider, it's important to know something about the provider who will care for their family. ​

Marshfield Clinic now offers patient comments, in addition to provider scores based on patient surveys, publicly on the Clinic website. The Clinic is one of a small number of health care organizations in the U.S., and one of two in Wisconsin, to share Press Ganey patient-based provider scores and comments publicly.

"We're excited to be a market leader in providing information that allows patients and potential patients to make the right health care decisions for them and their families," Dr. Brandon Parkhurst​, Patient Experience medical director, Marshfield Clinic. "This initiative allows us to build trust with the individuals and communities we serve."​

In May, the Clinic debuted provider scores on its website in the interest of patient experience and public transparency. Providers receive a score on a 1-5 scale derived from the "care provider section" of medical practice surveys. The data is on the provider's page at www.marshfieldclinic.org/doctors.

Now comments provided by patients from those same surveys are included. Some providers may not have a star rating or comments if they have fewer than 30 returned surveys over a 12-month period. Only providers who are surveyed using the medical practice survey have a star rating or comments. Urgent care, hospitalist, dental, outpatient services, or ambulatory surgery providers use different surveys.

More than 1,000 patient comments currently on the Clinic website are based on surveys from April, May and June, and will be updated monthly.

Patients have given Clinic providers high grades the past year. Of the 550 providers with star ratings, more than 94 percent have received a rating of 4.5 or higher.

Star-ratings and patient comments demonstrate the Clinic's patient-centered focus. The feedback from patients on Press Ganey surveys directly benefits others who are making health care decisions.

"Patient experience is as vital to patients as the world-class health care we provide," said Marshfield Clinic Executive Director Dr. Narayana Murali​​​. "Public transparency gives honest feedback from patients to people who are considering the health care we provide. For nearly 100 years, Marshfield Clinic has been a leader in providing high quality health care, research and education. Publicly available provider scores and patient comments are the next step in continuing into a second century of excellence."

Marshfield Clinic provides patient care, research and education with more than 50 locations in northern, central and western Wisconsin, making it one of the largest comprehensive medical systems in the United States.