Public Report Cards — Cardiac Surgery and Beyond

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Abstract
The debate about public report cards for physicians and hospitals never seems to end.1 Some praise report cards for their role in improving the quality of care, patient safety, and the choices of patients, referring physicians, and organizations that purchase health care. Others argue that such reports can have negative consequences — for example, if physicians or hospitals, in order to protect their rankings, avoid performing surgery on severely ill patients for whom surgical treatment might otherwise be recommended. Nonetheless, more and more data are being collected and released, although policies regarding the public availability of information vary widely. Thirty-seven . . .