“The American Medical Association (AMA) is committed to transparency and the availability of information for patients to make informed decisions about their medical care.
“We believe that the broad data dump today by CMS has significant short-comings regarding the accuracy and value of the medical services rendered by physicians. Releasing the data without context will likely lead to inaccuracies, misinterpretations, false conclusions and other unintended consequences.
“Thoughtful observers concluded long ago that payments or costs were not the only metric to evaluate medical care. Quality, value and outcomes are critical yardsticks for patients. The information released by CMS will not allow patients or payers to draw meaningful conclusions about the value or quality of care.
“The AMA is disappointed that CMS did not include reasonable safeguards that would help the public understand the limitations of this data.”
Statement attributed to:
Ardis Dee Hoven, M.D.
President, American Medical Association
