ProPublica (propublica.org) launched yesterday a project called “Vital Signs.” You can access Vital Signs at no charge here:
projects.propublica.org/vital-signs/
In its announcement about the project, ProPublica says it “has accumulated a wealth of data about how medicine is really practiced in the U.S. We’ve got millions of data points on things we believe everyone should know about his or her providers, like whether they’ve been barred from federal health care programs, their prescribing and treatment patterns, and how much money pharmaceutical companies pay them for things like consulting and speaking.”
You can subscribe to email alerts when ProPublica obtains new information on something of interest to you.
ProPublica says: “Our health care databases, including Dollars for Docs and Prescriber Checkup, have long been among the most popular features of our site, and are a key part of the mission of our data team — to help people use data to make better choices and live better lives. … New to this project is data on health care providers who have been kicked out of government health programs. For the first time, you’ll be able to see your provider’s standing.”
Vital Signs covers five general areas:
* Standing With Federal Health Programs
* Office Visits and Costs
* Relationships with Pharmaceutical and Device Companies
* Prescribing Patterns and Habits
* Surgical Performance
Sounds like this is worth checking out….
Robin