A failing grade for report cards?

The Washington Post writes that report cards issued for managed care plans may be misleading consumers. Many report cards appear to pay more attention to easy-to-interpret patient satisfaction scores than to scientific quality indicators. The National Bureau of Economic Research put out its own report card on the report cards, noting that patient satisfaction scores are often unduly influenced by factors such as the friendliness of staff or waiting room décor. Naysayers have long argued that common quality indicators, such as the number of patients who receive aspirin after a heart attack, are difficult for consumers without a medical background to interpret.

- see this article from The Washington Post