NEW YORK, Nov. 18 Empire BlueCross BlueShield today announced the availability of the Zagat Health Survey Tool for Empire members to share their physician experiences with other Empire members. This year Empire is celebrating the company's 75th year of providing health insurance in New York, today proudly serving nearly six million members.
Advertisement
"Empire uses direct member feedback extensively to gauge customer preference and drive new benefit products or changes in our service methodology," said Mark Wagar, President and CEO, Empire BlueCross BlueShield. "This unique collaboration between two well-known New York brands will provide helpful information not only to our members but also can be a source of constructive feedback for a physician's office."
Advertisement
Empire members can complete the Zagat Health Survey by logging in to the secure MyHealth Record member portal at www.empireblue.com. The Zagat Health Survey tool leverages the power of Zagat's model of pulling together shared experiences as additional input for making decisions about their health care.
"We have always believed that consumers are best served when they have access to information from a variety of sources," said Zagat Survey Co-Chair, Nina S. Zagat. "We hope the Zagat Health Survey tool will provide a 'virtuous circle' that gives patients important extra information when choosing their doctors and simultaneously allows the doctors to better understand their patients' experiences."
The Zagat Health Survey tool enables members to review their experiences with their physicians based on a set of distinct criteria, creating a trusted resource to support informed member decision-making. The criteria are solely designed to reflect a consumer's experience interacting with a physician and the physician's office and not to reflect the quality of care received.
About the Zagat Health Survey Tool
The online survey tool allows consumers to review their doctor visits based on:
Members are also asked whether they would recommend their doctor to others. The survey also features a Comments Section where members can explain their ratings. The online entry will display physician contact information, Zagat's signature 30-point scale for each of the four categories and the percentage of members who recommend that physician. The most recent comments will be displayed first. Members will also have the option to rate the usefulness of these ratings as well as report any responses that they feel are inappropriate.
"The Zagat Health Survey will provide physicians wanting to increase patient satisfaction with valuable feedback on how their patients feel about their experiences with the practice - information that often remains hidden to them," said Dr. Scott Breidbart, Chief Medical Officer, Empire BlueCross BlueShield. "The survey also provides consumers with information regarding the experience other patients have had with a particular physician practice that they can consider when selecting a physician depending on what factors are important to them."
Since launching the tool in markets of affiliated health plans of Empire's parent company in January 2008, plans have seen a very positive response from members. In addition, the vast majority of members are very satisfied with their experience, with nearly 85 percent of members who completed reviews recommending their providers as well as providing meaningful comments about their experiences.
All ratings or evaluations are based on member responses to their personal experiences. Because they are subjective, not based on clinical data and are not meant as a measure of clinical performance, the ratings are not meant to be used as the sole basis for selecting a physician. The Zagat Health Survey tool is currently available to Empire members as well as members of affiliated health plans of Empire's parent company in Indiana, Ohio, Connecticut, Virginia, Georgia, and various counties in CA, including the metropolitan Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and San Francisco markets.
About Zagat Survey, LLC
For over 30 years, Zagat Survey has rated and reviewed a host of consumer activities through shared consumer experiences. Zagat has been lauded as the "most up-to-date", "comprehensive" and "reliable" guide ever published. Zagat content is available to consumers wherever and whenever they need it: in book format, on ZAGAT.com, via the downloadable ZAGAT TO GO for smartphones and on the mobile web with ZAGAT.mobi. For more information, visit ZAGAT.com
About Empire BlueCross BlueShield
Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO is the trade name of Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc., independent licensees of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, serving residents and businesses in the 28 eastern and southeastern counties of New York State. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com
-- Availability - Convenience for making appointments and physician's punctuality -- Environment - Condition of the office, staff helpfulness, atmosphere and amenities -- Communication - Physician's bedside manner, responsiveness and rapport -- Trust - Overall confidence in the physician
SOURCE Empire BlueCross BlueShield
