Is this a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

Ruling may unlock key data on doctors

An order to release Medicare files might help patients choose physicians. Medical experts say the records don't tell the whole story.

By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
August 30, 2007

"WASHINGTON -- Whether it's a hernia repair or heart bypass, doctors with a lot of experience performing a given operation tend to have better results. The problem for patients in choosing a physician has been finding out which ones have the know-how."

"Now a court ruling appears to open the way for consumer access to such information for the first time, potentially transforming the relationship between doctors and patients, as well as the business of healthcare."

Read full article: http://www.latimes.com/features/heal...adlines-health