The Practitioner Information Project

1
The Practitioner Information Project
Department of Health Professions

• Costs, Benefits and Politics
• Robert A. Nebiker
• Deputy Director
• Virginia Department of Health Profession
• 2001 CLEAR Conference
• San Antonio,Texas
• September 14,2001

2
Whose idea was this anyway?
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Mandated by the 1998 General Assembly.
• Support form hospitals (focus group) and managed
  care plans.
• Best defense is an offense.
• Some initial opposition from organized medicine
  but, supported the bill.
• Based on Massachusetts project.

3
What it is
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Law mandates
• Medical and post graduate education
• Specialty board
• Duration in practice
• Practice locations/Translating services
• Publications
• Medicaid participation
• Disciplinary actions by Hospitals,plans,profession
  al organizations,etc
• Paid claims
• Notices and Orders

4
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• What it may be ..
• Optional Information
• Telephone number
• Days of week at practice location
• Maiden name
• Email Address
• Website Address
• Medicare participation
• Translation services at secondary practice
  locations
• Foreign languages spoken at secondary practice
  locations
• Continuing Education
• Honors and awards

5
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• This mandate required several administrative
  actions
• An appropriation 330k 1st Year 250k each
  subsequent year
• Actual cash---Fee increase
• Hiring of staff
• Letting of a contract

6
Options for Implementation
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• In house
• Establish a professional level position.
• Staff out administrative positions.
• Make major systems modifications.
• Out source
• Data collection
• Call center
• Entire range of needed services including systems

7
Cost Saving- Web Based Entry
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Cost per 100-Data entry by staff..260
• Cost per 100- Web/Client entry.-0-
• Number entered on line..22,897 (80)
• Cost of Web site development..23,000
• Estimated Savings36,540

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Web Advantages.
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• 100,000,000 data entry portals
• 24/7 availability
• Immediate completion resolution
• Fixes responsibility on reporting physician
• No paper
• No mailing

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What are the benefits ?
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• On line (and mail/fax back) access to self
  reported and limited verified information to
  30,000
• Ability to search by
• Name
• Specialty
• Locality
• Hospital
• 97,000 Sessions in 6 weeks (3,068,625 page views)

10
We are for it !!!(Sometimes)
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Insurers
• Hospitals
• Consumers
• Elected Officials
• Open Records advocates
• Press
• Medical Society
• Local (County) Medical Societies

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Second Thoughts.
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• 1999 medical society
• The whole undertaking
• 2000 northern Virginia medical groups
• Malpractice on the net

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Third Thoughts
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Senate Bill 10 in the July 2001 Special Session
• Made no mention of the Internet/Web
• Seems to limit kinds of Orders
• Revocation-OK
• Reprimand-OK
• Fine-No
• Violation/No sanction-No
• Reinstatement-No

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Third thoughts..Senate Bill 10
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Made no mention of the Internet/Web
• Made no mention of Notices
• Provided access to reports or complaints of
  misconduct that have not resulted in any
  disciplinary action or proceeding
• 149 Licensees with Notices/Orders per year
• 1700 with dismissed cases

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Where we are.
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• Web site is up and the call center is operational
• Notices and Orders are available10/06/2001
• We have denied requests for over 300 unfounded
  complaints
• Press is active..

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Where we heading.
Department of Health Professions The Practitioner
Information Project

• SB 59 Pre-filed for the 2002 General Assembly
  will undo SB 10 as an emergency and makes several
  technical changes
• Less than accurate reporting by physicians . Five
  such physicians we the subject of Washington Post
  article. Picked up by other media.

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Visit us .
Department of Health Professions

• www.vahealthprovider.com
• Call 804-643-4337
• Fax[phone]