How does Embold Health help patients find the right physician?

Embold Health uses a proprietary physician ratings engine that analyzes real-world claims data to evaluate physicians on appropriateness, effectiveness, and total cost of care. The platform surfaces physicians who consistently deliver quality outcomes, making the selection process more transparent for patients and health plans. It also allows physicians to assess and benchmark their own performance against peers.

Why is physician selection so difficult for patients today?

The sheer number of physicians available creates a paradox of choice, leaving patients without reliable tools to distinguish quality providers. Traditional metrics like reputation or star ratings are often subjective and don't reflect actual clinical outcomes. Without data-driven guidance, patients risk selecting physicians who may recommend unnecessary procedures.

What is the significance of unnecessary medical procedures in the U.S.?

Unnecessary procedures represent a major patient safety and cost concern — approximately 50 percent of back surgeries in the U.S. alone are deemed medically unnecessary. This drives up healthcare costs and exposes patients to avoidable risks. Identifying physicians who practice evidence-based medicine is central to addressing this problem.

Selecting and Finding the Best Healthcare Physicians Requires a Roadmap That Leads to Trust and Accessibility

Host Kevin Stevenson and Dr. Matthew Resnick of Embold Health discuss the difficulty patients face in finding trustworthy, high-quality physicians in an oversaturated healthcare market. They explore how Embold Health's proprietary physician ratings engine brings transparency to physician selection by evaluating appropriateness, effectiveness, and total cost of care. The conversation highlights that roughly 50 percent of back surgeries in the U.S. are deemed unnecessary, underscoring the urgency of better physician evaluation tools.

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By Kevin Stevenson · August 18, 2023, 6:00 AM UTCEmbold HealthHealthcareHealthcare PhysiciansI Don't Care

Key takeaways

Approximately 50 percent of back surgeries in the U.S. are considered unnecessary, reflecting a broader problem of misaligned physician incentives.

Embold Health's physician ratings engine helps patients identify high-quality doctors by assessing appropriateness, effectiveness, and total cost of care.

Moving physician evaluation from subjective reputation to data-driven performance metrics is key to improving patient outcomes and reducing waste.

For an era of information, the paradox of choice reigns supreme, and the field of finding healthcare physicians is no exception. With a multitude of physicians available, patients are often lost in a maze, struggling to find the right doctor for their specific needs. The stakes are high, especially considering that approximately 50 percent of back surgeries in the U.S. are deemed unnecessary. How does one navigate this complex landscape to find the most appropriate, effective, and cost-efficient healthcare?

What do patients really know about their healthcare providers, and how can they be certain they’re choosing the one who will offer the best care for their unique needs? It’s an important question that offers a window into the dilemmas faced by Americans searching for the right physician.

On the latest episode of “I Don’t Care with Kevin Stevenson,” host Kevin Stevenson sat down with Dr. Matthew Resnick, Chief Medical Officer and SVP of Health Plans and Partners at Embold Health. Together, they explored the intricacies of selecting the best healthcare physicians, using Embold Health’s proprietary physician ratings engine. This engine helps patients find physicians delivering quality outcomes and helps physicians assess and compare their performance.

The conversation between the two explored:

How Embold Health strives to make physician selection transparent and trustworthy.
How performance has been subjective and the move towards evaluating appropriateness, effectiveness, and total cost of care.
How Embold Health’s solutions help regular Americans find the right type of doctor and assess their quality of care.

About the Guest

Dr. Matthew Resnick is a urologic oncologist, having treated prostate and bladder cancer predominantly at Vanderbilt’s academic medical center. Resnick is a health services researcher and interested in physicians’ decision-making processes with and for patients. In his role, Resnick also develops tools that shine a light on quality healthcare providers.