Tenet to make physician profiles available

Tenet Healthcare Corp. is launching an initiative to offer consumers free, detailed reports about physicians affiliated with the hospital chain.

The Dallas-based company announced in May that it had reached a multiyear agreement with the ratings company HealthGrades Inc., to offer HealthGrades' reports about Tenet-affiliated physicians over the Internet. HealthGrades typically charges consumers for such reports but under the agreement, Tenet will pay the ratings company at least $2.5 million in the first year to make that information available for no charge to consumers.

The reports typically include information such as board certification and any disciplinary actions. Tenet-affiliated physicians will also be able to add information to their profiles such as educational background, office hours, areas of specialization and which insurance plans they accept.

The initiative comes as the consumer-directed health care movement is taking off, making it likely that patients will need more information as they play a more active role in making health care decisions in the future. Tenet said the initiative is part of a broader effort to help consumers address their needs.

"The Internet is an increasingly popular method used by consumers to find information about doctors and hospitals before they become patients," said Reynold Jennings, Tenet's chief operating officer, in a written statement. The reports, he added, will also enable physicians to provide information about themselves in a "very effective way."

Some physicians have criticized such reports, saying they aren't always a fair assessment of doctors.

HealthGrades, based in Golden, Colo., had previously entered into similar agreements with physicians and hospitals. But the Tenet deal marked the first time it engaged in such an initiative with a major hospital chain, spokesman Scott Shapiro said.

In addition to physician reports, the HealthGrades Web site will also offer profiles of Tenet's hospitals.

The information was expected to be available beginning June 1.