HealthInsight Launches New Quality Report Card Tool for Health Consumers

Comprehensive Online Healthcare Resource Now Available at www.utahhealthscape.org

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- HealthInsight, a community-based non-profit organization, will launch a new website today, "UtahHealthScape," a comprehensive source of objective quality information for health consumers. The site, www.utahhealthscape.org, helps patients use data – rather than just a neighbor's or coworker's advice – to select a health care provider or health plan.

UtahHealthScape was developed in collaboration with a host of local community partners who partnered with HealthInsight to create this resource for the public. Patients can use the site to search for providers by zip code or name, and then compare them on customer service characteristics and performance.

In a keynote speech delivered at Gov. Herbert's Health Innovation Summit last week, former HHS Secretary Michael O. Leavitt called out and commended HealthInsight's UtahHealthScape for providing information about health care quality to consumers. "Information is the key to driving meaningful and positive change in the health sector and a web portal is the way to do it. The information portal from HealthInsight is a giant step in the right direction," he said.

Some of the main features of UtahHealthScape include:

• A physician, hospital and health plan directory
• Consumer-friendly icons that describe key provider and health plan service offerings
• Detailed information regarding hospital quality of care and comparison features
• Quality and patient satisfaction data reporting for health plans
• Easy-to-understand information on a variety of health topics and self-management practices.

"This one-stop shop website offers a broad range of information about health care quality in Utah," Christie North, Vice President of Programs for HealthInsight explained. "UtahHealthScape is a first step in making the health care system more transparent to consumers, and it is my hope that it will help people in making more informed decisions about their health care."

The data on the site are obtained from a variety of reputable sources, including state and federal government agencies, as well as private health organizations. Developed by HealthInsight as a community public service, www.utahhealthscape.org is non-commercial and will not feature paid advertising.

About HealthInsight
HealthInsight is a private, non-profit, community based organization dedicated to improving health and health care. HealthInsight is an NRHI regional health improvement collaborative; an AHRQ-designated Chartered Value Exchange; a Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, a state EQRO; a Regional Extension Center for Health Information Technology; an ONC Beacon Community; and a community health information exchange (HIE) organization.

HealthInsight is a recognized leader in quality improvement; transparency and public reporting; health information technology programs; healthcare system delivery and payment reform efforts; and human factors science research and application. HealthInsight has offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Salt Lake City, Utah.  Visit our website at www.healthinsight.org.

SOURCE HealthInsight