Information Resources Column: "Health Care Report Cards: Pass or Fail?

Report cards have been instituted within the health care delivery system in the past few years to provide consumers with quality measures upon which to base decisions regarding care and to improve quality by encouraging competition among providers. Although critics charge these quality reports may not be having the intended consequences, it is likely that in an age of increasing accountability and of funding tied to outcomes that we will see more such projects launched followed by refinements in their content and presentation.