Heather Penton, MD

UTMB values the partnerships we have with our patients and their loved ones. We are committed to providing patients with information they need at their fingertips to make informed decisions about their health care, including information about the physicians and other providers who help shape their care experience.

As part of that commitment, we share providers’ patient satisfaction ratings online. Below are answers to some common questions about the ratings information:

WHAT’S THE SOURCE FOR THE RATINGS?

All ratings are submitted by real patients who have used UTMB Health services. We partner with Press Ganey, an independent leader in measuring patient and consumer satisfaction, to solicit unbiased feedback on our behalf via online and mailed patient surveys.

We measure all aspects of the patient experience to ensure that we are holding ourselves to the highest standards.

WHY DON'T WE SEE PATIENT RATINGS AND COMMENTS FOR EVERY CARE PROVIDER?

There are two reasons a physician or advanced practice provider may not have a rating listed:

1. At UTMB, a provider's ratings are only posted when she/he has a minimum of 30 completed surveys within the past twelve months. New-to-UTMB providers or individuals in less common areas of practice may be temporarily under this threshold.

   We set this baseline on responses to offer the most accurate representation for each UTMB physician or care provider. With consumer ratings of any type, more data yields more accurate results; a low number of responses can skew results disproportionately—in a favorable or negative fashion.

2. The UTMB Health provider directory includes listings for independent community physicians and other health care providers who partner with us to care for patients in our facilities. The ratings for these providers—typically part of their own private health care practices—are not currently available to us. However, a quick web search typically results in a wealth of consumer information about the qualities and attributes of all the well-vetted caregivers working in UTMB facilities.

WHO RECEIVES THE SURVEY?

The survey is emailed to each patient who has provided an email address, and it is also mailed to a random selection of those who do not use email within a few days following an appointment.

So that we don’t burden patients, patients are typically not sent more than one survey in 90 days, even if they’ve had multiple visits to a clinic.

DO YOU POST ALL COMMENTS?

UTMB is committed to transparency. That means we post all relevant feedback – whether it’s positive or negative, with just a few conditions as outlined below.

We do not edit comments. We also do not post comments that risk the privacy of our patients, that could be interpreted to be profane, slanderous, libelous, or racist, and/or that are about a provider or service other than the one being rated.

WHAT QUESTIONS ARE ASKED IN THE SURVEY?

UTMB utilizes the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Clinician and Group Practice survey, which was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for use in hospitals and medical practices across the country. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) promoted the development and use of this survey to allow comparisons across the country. The survey asks patients to evaluate how well their physician communicated, listened, and showed courtesy and respect toward them. Results are used to evaluate patients’ overall perception of care and to identify areas for our own improvement at UTMB.

Providers are rated on a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 is the lowest satisfaction possible and 5 is the best. We calculate our star ratings based on responses to the following survey questions:

Provider Assessment Topics

• What is the likelihood of your recommending this care provider to others?
• Did your care provider discuss any proposed treatment, along with options, risks, benefits, etc.?
• Was an explanation provided by your provider about your problem or condition?
• Did the care provider show concern for your questions or worries?
• Did you feel included in decisions about your care?

CAN ANYONE COMPLETE A SURVEY OR POST A COMMENT ABOUT A PROVIDER?

No. The ratings are based entirely on experiences of actual patients who have been treated by a specific doctor or care provider in a UTMB clinic.

HOW IS PATIENT INFORMATION PROTECTED?

Patient names are not displayed as part of the online ratings or comments. Comments that include information that identifies an individual, has other personal data or risks an individual’s privacy are not posted (see above, “Do you post all comments?”).