Currently, websites can only publish patient reviews that focus on non-clinical aspects of their treatment, such as whether they felt ‘listened to’ or if the practitioner ‘was on time’. ]The most well known, Whitecoat, currently has more than 450,000 of these reviews; however, the man behind the venture – NIB CEO Mr Mark Fitzgibbon – has forecast changes within 18 months.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: We have concerns about any information which might be inaccurate or misleading as this will not help patients to make informed decisions. -WHO:Mark Daniell}}Fitzgibbon said he would like to see consumers given access to data on the volume of procedures doctors were performing and also how patients felt after receiving treatment.Patient Reported Outcome Measures – questionnaires that assess, amongst other aspects, how health services and interventions have affected a patient’s quality of life, daily functioning and symptom severity – would likely facilitate such an expansion.The complex and individualised nature of medical treatment means some industry leaders, like RANZCO president Associate Professor Mark Daniell, hold reservations about any move to publish information concerning patient outcomes.“We have concerns about any information which might be inaccurate or misleading as this will not help patients to make informed decisions and runs the risk of unfairly damaging doctors’ reputations,” he said.“For example, information about outcomes or complications following surgery might se straightforward, but if the surgeon is known to be an expert in a particular area and is therefore routinely referred the most complicated cases, their outcomes reporting might look worse than another surgeon’s while actually reflecting a higher level of skill. In addition, there are concerns about subjective, rather than objective measures. A person’s experience of a medical practitioner or treatment can be influenced by a wide range of things, many of th very much outside of the control of the practicing doctor,” Daniell explained.{{quote-A:L-W:450-I:3-Q: We believe there is an asymmetry of information and that by powering consumers, we can help to enhance conversations about healthcare choices. -WHO:Whitecoat spokesperson}}Despite the recent comments from Fitzgibbon, a Whitecoat spokesperson told Insight there were no immediate plans to expand the scope of reviews currently found on the website.“powering consumers is all about enabling access to information, which in the future may include information that can help th to have the best possible clinical and service experience. At this point, however, details of expansion haven’t been confirmed and reviews rain non-clinical,” the spokesperson said.“We believe there is an asymmetry of information and that by powering consumers, we can help to enhance conversations about healthcare choices, whether it is about who they should see, what they should have done or how much they should pay.”The Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHFA), a government-supported healthcare consumer organisation, has adopted a similar view – particularly with regard to medical fees.“Whitecoat has shown what is possible in providing consumers with simple, easy to access information about availability and customer rating of healthcare providers,” CHFA CEO Ms Leanne Wells said.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:4-Q:It is time for more medical specialists, whose widely varying and often high fees create so much angst in the community, to join the modern world of transparency.-WHO:Leanne Wells}}“It is time for more medical specialists, whose widely varying and often high fees create so much angst in the community, to join the modern world of transparency and publish their fees. While health funds can publish whether or not some hospital specialists charge a gap, most specialists do not publish information about their fees in a manner that makes it easy for consumers to compare charges.“Consumers should be able to ascertain, for instance, how many times a surgeon has performed a given procedure and the surgeon’s success rate. Such data is collected and should be readily available to consumers.”However, while both Whitecoat and CHFA agree that more information regarding treatment outcomes would power patients, Optometry Australia (OA) disagrees.“We have concerns about patient reports on clinical outcomes being included on Whitecoat. Subjective information about clinical outcomes from patients don’t always provide a reliable assessment of the quality of care received, so instead of powering consumers to make informed choices about healthcare, such reviews can give a misleading impression,” an OA spokesperson said, adding there were also potential legal complications and issues concerning conflicts of interest associated with such a move.{{quote-A:L-W:450-I:5-Q:The relationship between a number of major health funds and Whitecoat is not made readily apparent to consumers and health practitioners on the Whitecoat website, and there is no acknowledgent on their website of any potential for conflict of interest.-WHO:OA spokesperson}}“Practitioners need to be confident that patient reviews of their services on such sites don’t contravene legislative requirents not to use patient testimonials in advertising … [In addition] the relationship between a number of major health funds and Whitecoat is not made readily apparent to consumers and health practitioners on the Whitecoat website, and there is no acknowledgent on their website of any potential for conflict of interest and how this will be managed. We find this lack of transparency concerning, and hope it is something Whitecoat will address.”According to Whitecoat, such a conflict of interest doesn’t exist due to a managent structure that operates independently of its major shareholders, NIB, Bupa Australia and HBF.“The interests of healthcare consumers are always at the forefront of what we do,” Whitecoat’s spokesperson said.“Ultimately, we want to create greater transparency in the healthcare syst when it comes to choosing providers and paying for healthcare.”Whether or not that transparency is fully independent, or if it actually helps patients choose the best possible option for their healthcare is a matter still up for debate.
ACO extends deadline to apply for paediatric eyecare course
The Australian College of Optometry (ACO) has extended the application deadline for its 2025 Advanced Certificate in Children’s Vision (ACCV)...