A new partnership between NCQA and the GeoAccess division of Ingenix will provide consumers with a comprehensive listing of quality health care.

A searchable database, available on NCQA’s Web site, allows visitors to search for a physician by area of expertise, location and other criteria. Physicians with dual areas of expertise—diabetes and cardiology training, for example—are clearly identified, along with a practice history, education, office hours and other important information. To earn recognition on the site, physicians must meet rigorous quality and performance standards.

“For the past 100 years, people have chosen their doctor based on reputation, location, word-of-mouth, even last name—everything except objective data on the quality,” says Margaret E. O’Kane, NCQA president. “That era is coming to a close. NCQA physician recognition data are rapidly being incorporated into the physician directories and Web sites people use to select their doctors. As a result, you’re going to see people making better choices and gravitating toward recognized doctors.”

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