ASTRO and AMA Conducting Physician Practice Information Survey
For the first time in nearly a decade, ASTRO, the American Medical Association and more than 70 other healthcare professional organizations, have worked together to coordinate a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices. The survey will collect up-to-date characteristics of thousands of physician practices from virtually all specialties, and be used in efforts to positively influence national decision-makers to ensure accurate and fair representation for all physicians and patients.
Getting our nation’s policy-makers to understand today’s landscape and the requirements for care is critical. These data will allow medicine to articulate the challenges of running a practice that provides expert patient care, while operating a business that is sustainable. The study results will not only help in the short-term, but will allow future generations of doctors to continue providing superior care to their patients.
One particularly important section of the study pertains to practice expenses and the amounts that are attributable to you. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has indicated that the results of this study will be used to help determine physician payment. Please encourage your staff to make this information available as the survey’s success depends on accurate and complete data. This information will remain confidential. The survey firm, dmrkynetec, will not identify any individuals or entities participating in this research.
dmrkynetec, a survey firm with extensive experience in the area of physician practice finance, has been retained to administer the survey. dmrkynetec will contact randomly selected physicians and practice managers in order to collect their confidential responses. Please watch for this survey and complete it thoroughly and accurately. Do your part to represent our profession.
Physician Practice Information Survey Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Physician Practice Information (PPI) survey?
The PPI survey is a national effort aimed at collecting up-to-date information on physician practice characteristics in order to positively influence national decision makers while further developing and refining AMA and ASTRO policy. Practice data being used by Congress, as well as CMS, are nearly a decade old for most specialties and must be updated to reflect current experience. The PPI survey will provide policy makers with current, accurate data across specialty and practice types so that they can make more informed, evidence-based decisions.
Why should I participate in this study?
This study represents your practice’s opportunity to communicate accurate financial and operational information to policy makers including members of Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Your participation in this study will ensure that the voice and priorities of your medical specialty are clearly heard.
What type of information is being collected?
The PPI survey is focused on collecting information on practice characteristics, provider hours worked, number of patient visits and number of procedures performed. The survey also seeks to quantify common professional expenses associated with medical practice (during 2006), participation in Medicare and common characteristics of managed care plans. Finally, current topics of national interest such as medical malpractice coverage and the use of electronic medical records are explored.
What organizations endorse the study?
The AMA and ASTRO, along with 70 other medical specialty organizations have provided financial support and endorsement for the 2007 Physician Practice Information Survey.
Who is conducting the study?
The organizations endorsing the PPI study have contracted with dmrkynetec to collect this data on their behalf. dmrkynetec is an independent, nationally-recognized research and consulting firm with extensive background in collecting information regarding provider issues.
Why was I chosen?
You were randomly selected as part of a statistically-controlled sample to represent thousands of other providers in your specialty and region of the country. Your participation is critical to ensure that the information collected is representative of providers in all types of practice situations.
How long will this survey take?
There are two components associated with the PPI survey; one to be completed by the provider and the other by the practice’s manager/administrator. Advance study materials include worksheets to help efficiently organize the information. Once these worksheets are filled in, each component of the survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete by phone or Web.
Are my responses confidential?
dmrkynetec adheres to strict confidentiality guidelines. All information that would permit identification of any participant will be regarded as strictly confidential. Such information will be used only for purposes of the study and will not be disclosed or released for any other purposes without prior consent, except as required by law.
Where can I see results of the study?
Results of the final study may be published in AMANews, JAMA, the Journal of Health Economics and a wide variety of other professional journals. In addition, practices participating in the 2007 PPI survey will receive a special data summary document containing highlights of study results. This summary document will only be available to PPI participants
Have you been selected to participate in the Physician Practice Information survey?
ASTRO, two other radiation oncology organizations, the AMA and more than 70 other organizations are conducting a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America’s physician practices.
The results will be used to positively influence national decision makers. ASTRO, along with ACRO and AFROC, seek accurate and fair representation for radiation oncology and hope to articulate the challenges of providing high-quality radiation oncology services while operating a sustainable business. The section of the study pertaining to your practice expenses is particularly important. CMS has indicated it will use the results of this study to help determine physician payment. The survey firm, Dmrkynetec, is contacting randomly selected physicians and practice managers to collect responses. All responses will remain confidential.
At this time, the response rate from radiation oncology needs to increase.
Please alert your staff regarding your willingness to participate in this survey and the importance of accepting incoming calls, faxes or e-mails from dmrkynetec. A postcard was mailed to radiation oncologists drawn from the AMA Physician Masterfile on June 11. If you received this postcard, it is an indication that you have been selected to participate in the “hospital-based” radiation oncology survey. If your practice is partially or fully based in a freestanding center, you may not have received a postcard, since most of this sample was drawn independently of the hospital-based radiation oncologists above.
This postcard follows on an earlier mailing in which dmrkynetec sent a letter to physicians practicing in a freestanding center and another to those practicing in a hospital setting. You may have received both letters if you practice in both settings. Both freestanding and hospital-based radiation oncologists are needed for this survey. If you received a letter that doesn't accurately describe your practice, you may still qualify to participate in the survey. Call dmrkynetec and they will gather additional information in hopes of including you in the most appropriate survey format.
If you have been selected to participate in this important effort and have any questions about this survey, please call toll-free at 1-877-816-8940 and ask to speak with one of dmrkynetec’s executive interviewers about the 2008 Physician Practice Information Survey. If you prefer, you can use the hyperlink below to take you to a Web site that will tell you if you have been selected to participate by using your responses to a few basic questions.
If you have been selected, the Web site will provide instructions to help you begin preparations for participating in the survey. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.