(NAPSA)—People who like to comparison shop and patients who need or are considering surgery or a serious medical procedure, will be happy with this news—now thanksto a new service, they can “comparison shop” for their hospitals and surgeons. A new company has changed the way people find doctors and hospitals. By Internet access, patients can compare the experience, performance record, qualifications and costs of hospitals and physicians, including experience, complication rates and mortality rates with cases similar to their own. Thecritical importance of medical quality was highlighted by a report released by the Institute of Medicine in 2000. It concluded that as many as 98,000 lives are lost to medical mistakes each year. Patientwise.net, is designed to offer patients, family members and primary care or family physicians a new way to choose hospitals and physicians for serious surgery that needs to be scheduled by enabling them to secure information on experience, quality, value and costs before they choose. Care for users of this new online site will come from the nation’s leading medical centers as well as community hospitals and physicians with strong quality records. Open-heart surgery, neurosurgery, cancer surgery, Il | To ensure the best medical service and the best outcomeit’s good to be informed. major orthopedic procedures and transplants are examples of the care obtainable by using this medical service Website. “In addition to the valuable information patientwise.net will offer to people about medical services, it will also help hospitals and physicians increase efficiency,” said the company’s CEO Bradley C. Engel. “A physician’s staff can help patients get answers by using patientwise.net, freeing up the physician’s time for other patients. By highlighting clinical strengths or special expertise or services, hospitals will utilize excess capacity, and improve efficiency. Everyone wins, except low quality, high-cost providers who should be losing these cases anyway,” Engel also said. For more information, you can call toll-free 877-728-9473 (877 PATWISE)or go to the Website at www.patientwise.net.
