A Physician Self-Assessment Tool for Quality Improvement

Abstract

A physician self-assessment (PSA) tool was evaluated as an alternative to full chart reviews to assess guideline adherence. PSAs, consisting of brief self-report questionnaires, were developed for asthma management and mammography screening and were mailed to participating physicians in a partially capitated Medicaid managed care insurance program. A random chart audit was conducted at each practice site, and results were compared to the PSA responses. An 85% concordance was found between the asthma PSA and chart data, and an 88% concordance was found between the mammography PSA and chart data. These findings suggest that the PSA, combined with random chart audits, can be a viable alternative to full chart reviews.